Ah, France. Another day, another cathedral.
The Cathédrale St-Bénigne we see today is the latest iteration of a series of reconstructions that have occurred over the past 1,500 years.
The first structure on this site was a basilica built in 535 AD, situated above the tomb of St Benignus, who is believed to have brought Christianity to Burgundy. The basilica became the center of a monastic community and was re-dedicated as a Benedictine abbey in the 9th century. In 1000, the abbey was razed to make way for a new Romanesque cathedral.
In 1137, a fire destroyed most of Dijon and part of the church. In 1272, the crossing tower collapsed and once again – you guessed it – most of the church was destroyed. Finally, in the early 1300’s, a new Gothic abbey was constructed. During the French Revolution, the abbey was secularized and the church became the cathedral of the Diocese of Dijon.
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