Cloître et ensemble cathédral du Puy-en-Velay

A sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary since the first centuries of Christianity, Le Puy is gradually becoming one of the starting points for the pilgrimage to Saint-Jacques-of Compostela.
The cathedral and its district crown Mount Anis, an ancient volcano on the slopes of which the city was established since the Gallo-Roman era. At the end of the 10th century, the city's fame was fully established around the devotion to a statue of the Virgin: Notre-Dame du Puy. Pilgrims coming from countries bordering France are gathering there in increasing numbers to continue towards Saint-Jacques of Compostela. This influx led to the church being enlarged twice in the 11th and 12th centuries. A cloister was then built for the use of the Chapter (the community of canons of the cathedral), who met there and constituted the bishop's council.

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, the cloister underwent various restorations. From 1842 to 1853, the architect Mallay carried out very important works of dismantling, reconstruction and restoration of the Romanesque decorations, continued by Mimey until the beginning of the 20th century, preserving the architecture's original spirit.

An exceptional Romanesque cloister and its collection of religious art

Built in the 12th century against the north side of the cathedral, this cloister with polychrome arcades offers a great diversity of Romanesque sculptures, including its 154 capitals and its sculpted frieze, partly original. Upstairs in the imposing Mâchicoulis building, you can discover the Cathedral Treasury and its collection of embroidered liturgical ornaments (Cougard-Fruman collection, 15th-19th centuries). In high season (July and August), discover the hidden treasures in the lower room of the Mâchicoulis building and its underground passages.

The chapter house or Chapter room hosted the assemblies of the canons of the cathedral. From the 14th century, this room became a funerary chapel dedicated to the canons, after the arrangement of their tomb. The funerary slabs preserve the memory of the canons buried in the 14th and 15th centuries, from the noble families of Velay. The south wall is decorated with a fresco representing the Crucifixion, the high quality of which testifies to Byzantine inspiration at the end of the 12th century.

The Machicoulis building dominates the city of Puy-en-Velay from the top of its five levels; a key element for the defense of the cathedral complex, it demonstrated above all the seigniorial power of the canons and the power of the Chapter over the upper town. It housed a seigniorial hall, now a space for the Ors et Broderies exhibition, as well as the canons' library (chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in the cathedral). Serving as a buttress to the cloister, this building has two levels located below the Romanesque cloister. Since 2018, the lower room, a former vaulted cellar from the 13th century, has presented a documentary devoted to the construction of the cathedral complex over 2000 years. Finally, the remains of the former dungeon of the canons (Saint-Mayol tower) are now accessible via the cloister underground passages.

A cathedral district to discover
During peak season and subject to changes in health conditions, guided tours offer a deeper understanding of this complex site (the Machicolations Building, the Clergymen's Lodgings, and the Baptistery). The underground sections feature a film retracing the cathedral's construction from antiquity onward, as well as an exhibition (panels, samples) exploring the materials used and the unique geology of the upper town, in connection with the ongoing assessments and restoration work carried out by the DRAC Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs). A game booklet will be available for young visitors, allowing them to discover the heritage and its restoration projects in the cloister and throughout the cathedral quarter.

Discover unusual places on a guided tour… A stone's throw from the cloister, the baptistery preserves the oldest structures of the cathedral complex (6th-10th centuries); likewise, the clergymen's lodge retains a prestigious 12th century habitat, as evidenced by the griffins' room, decorated with frescoes and a rare Romanesque fireplace. The fireplace and the painted decoration imitating Byzantine silk suggest the high social rank of its first occupants, before the building welcomed the little clerks or Clergeons in modern times.
The clergeons' residence and the baptistery are only open for guided tours in July and August (maximum 18 people, reservation recommended).

In high season and subject to changes in sanitary conditions, guided tours provide a better understanding of this complex ensemble (Machicolations building, Clergeons' residence, Baptistery).

This summer 3 guided tours at no extra charge are offered:
> 10:30 am: Classic tour (cloister - Chapter room - Treasury)
On Mondays and Fridays, this visit is enhanced with an outdoor tour related to the planned restoration work on the entire cathedral complex: in addition to the Romanesque cloister, this tour allows you to discover both the materials of the medieval construction, related to the volcanic site, and the ongoing restoration work – Duration 1 hour 15 minutes, departure and return to the cloister.

14:30 pm: Classic tour (cloister - Chapter room - Treasury). – Duration 1 hour.

15:30 pm: Extended tour: This tour provides access to areas not open to the public: the Clergeons' residence (Griffin Room, 12th-century fresco and fireplace), the north gallery of the cathedral (11th-century fresco of St. Michael), and the St. John Baptistery. Departure and return to the cloister – Duration approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

Self-guided tours with a brochure are of course possible, allowing you to discover the cloister, the chapter house, the Velay Estates Hall (Treasury and collection of European liturgical embroideries), and finally an underground tour (base of the St. Mayol tower, cryptoporticus, lower room of the Machicolations building). Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour.

A game booklet will be offered to the young public, who will thus be able to discover the heritage and its construction sites, in the cloister and all around the cathedral district.
You will also find a €0 souvenir ticket at the cloister shop.

No luggage storage is available within the monument grounds.

Free for holders of the Education Pass (for the current year).
Free for holders of the Passion monuments card (National Monuments).