Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Vannes (Morbihan, Brittany) is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Vannes and also holds the title of minor basilica. It is one of the seven cathedral “stops” on the Tro Breiz, Brittany’s traditional pilgrimage route.
Gothic in style, the building rises on the site of an earlier Romanesque cathedral. Construction stretched over five centuries (15th–19th)—and if you include the long-lived Romanesque bell tower preserved from the former church, the story spans roughly seven centuries. Despite this slow, layered evolution, the plan remains remarkably coherent: a single nave flanked by ten lateral chapels, an uneven-armed transept, a choir wrapped by an ambulatory, and an axial chapel aligned beyond.
Its major turning point was the cult of Saint Vincent Ferrer, who died in Vannes in 1419, was buried in the cathedral choir, and was canonized in 1455. The influx of pilgrims and offerings around his tomb financed key phases of the Gothic rebuilding: the nave (1456–1475), the porch (1484–1494), and the transepts (1500–1520). A distinctive highlight from the 16th century is the two-storey round Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament (1530–1537)—a rare Renaissance statement in Brittany.
In 1870, Pope Pius IX officially raised the cathedral to the rank of minor basilica. The entire building was listed as a historic monument in 1906. In recent decades it has undergone multiple restoration campaigns, and in the early 2020s the French state launched major works coordinated by the DRAC. From 2022 to 2024, the north and south transepts and the rear choir were fully restored. A new phase began in January 2025, focusing on the nave and side chapels, scheduled to run until 2027. During this final stage, the cathedral is closed for liturgical worship, with services relocated to other venues in Vannes.
- Address
22 Rue des Chanoines, Vannes, Francia - Web
https://www.cathedrale-vannes.fr/ - Visiting Hours
Every day from 8:30 to 19:00 h. - What to see
Tomb of Saint Vincent Ferrer, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Romanesque tower
