The Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption cathedral in Montauban is subject to constant surveillance. This Friday, October 30, agents of the Departmental Unit of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP) of Tarn-et-Garonne noted, during a control visit, the appearance ofmajor cracks at the western end of the nave of the building. The extent of the damage has just been recognized by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.
Cracks are particularly visible between the high windows and the large arches of the first span of the monument. The façade, the organ gallery and the two bell towers have become detached from the rest of the building due to wear and movement of the ground.
An urgently ordered renovation mission
The Relano company, commissioned by the architect of buildings of France (ABF), began to pose a dozen plaster witnesses to check if the disorders are stabilized or not. An emergency mission will be ordered from the chief architect of historic monuments (ACMH), project manager, who will be present in Montauban on Monday, November 9, so that the cathedral is fitted (sensors, crackometers) very quickly and for that a structural diagnosis be established. Depending on the analysis, emergency work could be announced soon. The nave had been fully restored between 1997 and 1998.
Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption cathedral
Built between 1692 and 1739, Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption is one of the rare cathedrals in France built in the classical period. Built according to the plans of the king’s greatest architects (François d’Orbay, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Robert de Cotte), it is characterized by its imposing white stone facade, with two symmetrical bell towers, initially decorated with sculptures by Marc Arcis. . It houses the famous Vow of Louis XIII, a major work by Ingres (1824) recently restored.
The cathedral, state property assigned to the Ministry of Culture, has been classified Historic monument on August 9, 1906.
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