Adult and infant demons on Église Cathédrale Saint-Siffrein, the former cathedral at Carpentras, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France, built in Gothic style on the orders of Pope Benedict XIII. Construction began in 1409 and continued for 150 years, with seven different architects overseeing the work.
Carpentras, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France: grotesque gargoyle adult and infant demons cling together with clawed hands as they snarl down from a jagged roofline of the Roman Catholic Église Cathédrale Saint-Siffrein, the former cathedral built in Gothic style in the 15th and 16th centuries by the order of Pope Benedict XIII. The church, seat of the former diocese of Carpentras, largely replaced a dilapidated 12th century Romanesque cathedral which was close to collapse, with only its dome included in the new structure. Construction began in 1409 and continued for 150 years, with seven different architects overseeing the work. The last major phase was the construction of the Flamboyant Gothic south portal, now known as the Porte des Juifs or Jewish Door. Gargoyles (gargouilles in French) performed an essential function in medieval Gothic architecture akin to modern drainpipes, allowing rainwater to flow down channels or troughs in their backs, to be thrown from their mouths well clear of the building.
Size: 2706px × 4074px
Location: Carpentras, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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