Orleans Cathedral

Definition

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Sainte-Croix) of Orleans in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, was first built in the 13th century CE on the site of a series of older churches dating back to the 4th century CE. The cathedral, which hosted the coronations of several French kings, was added to over the centuries and is a splendid example of both the Gothic and Classical styles of architecture. It is very similar in both design and dimensions to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. In many ways, the cathedral is a monument to the city's great heroine, Saint Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431 CE) who saved Orleans during the Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453 CE) between France and England. A chapel in the apse is dedicated to the saint, and her life story is told in ten of the cathedral's stained glass windows.

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