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Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Pres --Stock Photo

Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Pres. The oldest church in Paris. The Abbey was founded in the 6th century by the son of Clovis I, Childebert I. Under royal patronage the Abbey became one of the richest in France, as demonstrated by its ninth-century polyptych; it housed an important scriptorium in the eleventh century and remained a center of intellectual life in the French Catholic church until it was disbanded during the French Revolution.

Notre Dame-- Paris --Stock Photo

Paris --Stock Photo

Rodez Cathedral, France

Rodez Cathedral. Rodez was Christianized in the 4th-5th century AD, and the first mention of a cathedral dates from around 516. In 1792–98, Pierre Méchain and Jean-Baptiste Delambre used Rodez Cathedral as the central surveying point for their calculation of the circumference of the earth. This was used in the definition of the metre.

Saint-Côme-d'Olt, Aveyron

Listed among the most beautiful villages of France, Saint-Côme-d'Olt is a beautiful group of buildings by the Lot river. It is on the popular pilgrimage route that leads from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago de Compostella (in Spain). The Church of St Cosmas, built from 1522 to 1532 in a flamboyant Gothic style, boasts carved oak doors which are the work of the architect Antoine Salvanh who was also the architect of Rodez Cathédral’s bell tower. Each of these doors is embellished by 360 hand forged wrought iron nails dating from 1532. A very unusual aspect of the church is the spire, which is twisted from top to bottom - there are very few churches of the design to be found (in fact no one even knows if the design is intentional or accidental.)