St. Louis Cathedral

세인트루이스 대성당

The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, usually called St. Louis Cathedral, is a Catholic church in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It faces Jackson Square and the Mississippi River, between the old Cabildo and Presbytère buildings. Its white front with three tall spires is one of the most photographed sights in the city.

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At a glance

Country: United States
Location: New Orleans, USA
Built: 1850
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is St. Louis Cathedral?

St. Louis Cathedral is in New Orleans, USA, United States.

When was St. Louis Cathedral built?

St. Louis Cathedral was built in 1850.

One of the oldest cathedrals in the US, its white three-spired facade overlooking Jackson Square.

It is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States, a title it shares with the Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey, California. It is named for Saint Louis, King Louis IX of France. The building you see today was largely rebuilt in the 1850s.

Three churches on one spot

Three Catholic churches have stood on this site since the city was founded in 1718. The first was a rough wooden building. A larger one of brick and timber was begun in 1725 and finished in 1727, but it was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire on Good Friday, 21 March 1788.

A new church was begun in 1789 and was raised to cathedral rank in 1793, when the Diocese of New Orleans was created.

How did it get its look?

In 1819 a central tower with a clock and a bell was added. The bell is named Victoire, after the victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The tower was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

From 1834 people wanted a bigger church. The architect Jacques Nicolas Bussière de Pouilly drew new plans, and the church was expanded and largely rebuilt and completed in the 1850s, so little of the 1789 building remains.

Fun facts

It is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
It is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the United States, along with a chapel in Monterey.
Its bell is named Victoire, French for victory.
Fire destroyed the earlier church in 1788.