Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Arnoux
Rising from the centre of Gap's old town, this 15th-century Gothic cathedral is the spiritual and architectural heart of the city, built from warm local stone that shifts from gold to amber as the afternoon light moves across its façade. Its soaring nave and richly decorated side chapels reward a slow, unhurried visit.
Architecture and history
Construction began in 1447 and stretched across more than a century, leaving a fascinating mix of Flamboyant Gothic tracery and Renaissance detailing visible in the chapels along the northern aisle.
The cathedral was heavily restored in the 19th century under the direction of the Diocèse de Gap, but the original carved stone portal on the western front survived and remains one of the finest examples of late-Gothic stonework in the region.
Inside the cathedral
Step inside to find a cool, dim interior punctuated by shafts of coloured light from the modern stained-glass windows installed in the 1970s — an unexpectedly bold artistic choice that works beautifully against the medieval stonework.
Don't miss the tomb of Lesdiguières, the powerful 16th-century Dauphiné governor whose white marble effigy lies in the north transept, a masterpiece of French Renaissance funerary sculpture.
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