Exterior view

At the beginning of the twelfth century, the west of France experienced the sudden blossoming of the art of the domed vault, a feature probably inspired by the domed church of San Marco in Venice. The most significant domed churches of western France are the convent church of Fontevraud, Saint-Pierre in Angoulême, Saint-Front in Périgueux, and, in its renovated form, Saint-Hilaire in Poitiers.

The façade is a remarkable feature of the cathedral. It is completely covered by decorative elements. It consists of three storeys of differing heights and is subdivided into five sections by means of half-columns.These are linked by semi-circular arches which in turn span smaller side recesses with figures.

The photo shows the richly decorated façade.

View the ground plan of the Cathedral of Angoulême.