Recovery plan- The restoration of the Cathedral of Puy continued in spring 2022, notably through the operation of restoration of the roof of the Clergeons' home and the angelic dome initiated in 2021, but also a new phase that will concern this time the restoration of roofs.
The Puy Cathedral, a jewel of Romanesque art partially rebuilt in the middle of the 19th centurye It has been listed as a historic monument since 1862 and has been listed on the World Heritage List (Santiago de Compostela Roads) since 1998.
The State - Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, owner of the site and builder, commissioned several important studies from the chief architect of historical monuments, Étienne Barthélémy, completed by a campaign of state-of-the-art surveys.
These essential preliminary studies will make it possible to carry out restoration work on emblematic elements of the cathedral complex: the angelic dome and the home of the Clergeons in a first time; the western facade and the great staircase of the cathedral afterwards; the Chapel of the Penitents at last.
Plan de Relance: a vertiginous project to restore roofs
Perched on the upper town, the Puy cathedral and its angelic dome, at the crossing of the transept, are emblematic elements of the silhouette of the Puy-en-Velay.
A master plan for the restoration of the cathedral’s roofs was created in July 2020 by the chief architect of historic monuments. From this master plan, the restoration of the roof of the Clergeons' home and the angelic dome was initiated in 2021. It includes the restoration of the volcanic stone walls of the drum and the restoration of the dome covers. Access to the site – particularly complex in the upper town – will be through the fir tree recently installed against the Saint-Jean porch, between the bell tower and the baptistery, in close consultation with the technical services of the clergy affected, of the Puy agglomeration community and with the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN).
Western façade and grand staircase: new technologies at the cathedral’s bedside!
Built on the chimney of a degraded volcano, the Puy Cathedral has been in balance for a thousand years!
Its facade and grand staircase were largely rebuilt in the middle of the XIXe century by the diocesan architect Mallay. As a result of design problems during this work, combined in particular with the geological and archaeological substrate, the condition of the steps questions, while disorders appear on the western façade. Given its location and the materials used for its construction (volcanic tuff), the Puy Cathedral poses unique problems in the world and presupposes accurate and tailored diagnostic and intervention protocols.
In order to determine the cause of these disorders, a diagnosis was entrusted to the chief architect of historical monuments in 2020, which the DRAC made complete with 3D thermal and photogrammetric surveys carried out by drone (Geocarta associated with Geostudi) of the entire building.
This acquisition campaign allows to document with an unprecedented level of definition the sanitary condition of the facing of the cathedral set.
This work was also enriched by a historical and documentary study of the base of the cathedral and the characterization of its materials for the purpose of recognizing potential careers useful for restoration, entrusted to geologist Jean-Noël Borget.
This work was complemented by an investigation protocol (ground radar) to understand the pathologies of the subsurface and determine the strategies and zoning of the geotechnical study being prepared.
Transaction amount
€2.6 million: 100% State funding, as part of the Cathedrals Plan of the Recovery Plan
Contracting authority : Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - Regional conservation of historical monuments.
Project management Étienne Barthélémy, chief architect of historical monuments.
