Le Puy Cathedral

Le Puy Cathedral
Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Le Puy
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation du Puy
45°2′44″N 3°53′5″E / 45.04556°N 3.88472°E / 45.04556; 3.88472
Location	Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne
Country	France
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Website	www.cathedraledupuy.org
History
Status	Cathedral, Basilica
Dedication	Annunciation
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Basilica
Style	Romanesque
Groundbreaking	11th century
Completed	13th century
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Cathédrale Notre-Dame
Designated	1998
Part of	Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Reference no.	868
Monument historique
Official name	Cathédrale Notre-Dame et ses dépendances
Type	classé
Designated	1862
Reference no.	PA00092743

Le Puy Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy) is a Roman Catholic church located in Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvergne, France. The cathedral is a national monument. It has been a centre of pilgrimage in its own right since before the time of Charlemagne, as well as being a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Since 1998 it has been part of a multi-location UNESCO World Heritage Site along France's Santiago pilgrimage routes. It is the seat of the Bishop of Le Puy.

The cathedral forms the highest point of the city, rising from the foot of the Rocher Corneille. Constructed over centuries, it contains architecture of every period from the 5th century to the 15th, which gives it an individual appearance. The bulk of the construction, however, dates from the first half of the 12th century.