St Etienne Cathedral in Cahors

Cahors has had a university and cathedral and seminaries since the 11th C as far as I could tell. The cathedral was fascinating with domed ceilings, faded frescoes and beautiful stone carvings. The cloister was lovely and an exhibition about the church and regional history was currently open for viewing. Of course everything was written in French so I didn't have time to read it all, but it sparked my interest to look into it back at home. 

Angela and I attended a small mass in a side chapel led by a darling young priest. It's good to see that there are still young people entering the ministry. They had a special blessing for the pilgrims at the end. 

The Dominicans and the Jesuits have had a big presence in this town, founding universities and churches and monasteries. The old Jacobins Monastery is in ruins right across the street from our gite. The owner Serge told us a little bit of the history.