Saint-Michel Basilica

The Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux, is a Flamboyant Gothic church in Bordeaux, France, built between the end of 14th century and the 16th century. It is at the heart of the ancient quarter of Saint-Michel.

The pulpit represents Saint Michael slaying the dragon. The stained-glass windows were destroyed during the bombardment of 1940. The separate bell tower, which is 114 meters tall, was built in the 15th century. In 1881 a Gallo-Roman cemetery and catacombs were discovered under the tower, with several naturally mummified bodies (see note). The church is a listed historical monument. The tower can be visited every day from April to October.

From the late eighteenth century until 1979, over 60 of the mummified bodies were exhibited in the crypt.

Note

The mummies were found in 1791 according to other sources, in the adjacent parish graveyard which, having become full, was being cleared, with remains being transferred to catacombs; they further state that the bodies were removed to the cimetière de la Chartreuse in 1979.

Texte tiré de l'article Wikipédia "Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux" et modifié July 23, 2019 sous la license CC-BY-SA 4.0 International.