Le trésor de la Cathédrale Saint-Lazare

Continue your exploration of Saint-Lazare Cathedral by visiting an exceptional space: the cathedral’s Treasury.
Open to the public following nearly 30 years of exemplary restoration work, this new visitor route reveals, at the very heart of the building, major works of art that have adorned the cathedral over the centuries.

On the ground floor, liturgical objects, gold and silverware, paintings and sculptures bring the cathedral’s history to life. The reliquaries in the Treasury stand alongside works linked to the patronage of the Rolin family during the cathedral’s restoration in the 15th century, recalling the importance of the relics of Saint Lazarus, for which the cathedral was built.

Upstairs, the chapter house displays an exceptional collection of 12th-century Romanesque capitals, attributed to Gislebertus, which rank among the masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art.

Housed in a 16th-century building to the west of the cathedral, this former canons’ library preserves 23 original capitals from the cathedral’s nave and chancel (mainly around the crossing of the transept).

Removed in the 19th century during the restoration of the bell tower, and subsequently replaced in the cathedral by copies, they now offer a rare opportunity to admire the exquisite detail of their carving at close quarters.

Among the 14 historiated capitals are several iconic masterpieces, including *The Flight into Egypt*, *The Adoration of the Magi* and *The Sleep of the Magi*. The exhibition is complemented by delicate capitals featuring plant motifs, as well as two corbels from the cathedral’s main portal.

This tour offers a unique experience, allowing visitors to get up close to Gislebertus’s original sculptures.

Please note: access to the chapter house is via a staircase only and is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility. The Gislebertus Gallery, situated opposite the tympanum, offers a digital tour of the chapter house so that everyone can appreciate its treasures.

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