Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix

A short walk from our apartment is Aix's Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur, a beautiful cathedral whose mishmash of architectural styles tells the story of its history.  It was built starting in the 6th century on the site of the 1st century Roman Forum in Aix. The baptistery is one of the oldest in France, built with columns from a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo. According to legend, the first church on the site was founded by St. Maximinus of Aix with Mary Magdalene after arriving from Palestine on Lazarus' boat. The south of France has a special affection for Mary Magdalene, who is sometimes credited with converting the area to Christianity. Our 6 year old has taken a special interest in cathedrals, so we frequently visit this church. One of our favorite things he's said this trip was, "I didn't know the French knew about Jesus!". Oh, to see the world through the eyes of a 6 year old! We love to go in and look at the stained glass windows and numerous works of art. One great thing about this attraction: it's free! It is open for a few hours in the morning, closed for a few hours over lunch (like most attractions in Aix) and open again in the evening. We had the pleasure of attending Mass here already (Mass times are Sunday 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.). The priest was very friendly and the organ music and singing beautiful, even if we couldn't understand the words.

The original Romanesque front was destroyed in the 15th century and replaced with this Gothic style:

You can see the the styles through time here.  The wall on the right was built using blocks from the Roman Forum, then the Romanesque old façade, and finally the Gothic main entrance façade:

The baptistery, built with Roman temple columns:

Interior. Pictures don't do it justice:

Beautiful stained glass: