Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne

The construction of the cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, began in the early 13th century, after a preceding Romanesque church on the same site had been destroyed twice by fires. The majority of the Gothic structure was erected in the 13th and 14th centuries, with the cloister added around 1240. Completion largely occurred in the 15th century, but the southern tower was not finished until the beginning of the 16th century. In the 19th century, the cathedral underwent extensive restorations and alterations under the direction of architect Émile Boeswillwald, a pupil of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who, among other things, added the northern tower and the Gothic spires.

The Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne is located in the city of Bayonne in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Aquitaine region, France. It stands at an elevation of approximately 21 meters above sea level.

The cathedral is currently accessible to visitors and can be explored. It has been classified as a Monument historique since 1862, thus enjoying protected status.

• Château-Vieux (castle), approx. 0.1 km away
• Château-Neuf (castle), approx. 0.6 km away
• Citadelle de Bayonne (fortress), approx. 0.9 km away
• Château de Marracq (castle), approx. 1.3 km away