40 Valence cathedral, France

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Valence cathedral is dedicated to another of those sixth-century bishops and has a lovely baroque side altar.  The main altar table and the baptismal font are fine pieces, too. The pulpit a very common style, even ordinary. Also slightly gruesome story, because Pope Pius X died in Valence in 1799. His body was eventually taken off to Italy for burial, but the Valence parishioners wanted his heart and his guts back, so they were sent back and are buried in the cathedral.

Valence also has a very interesting and important museum of the Armenian genocide (there is a very large Armenian community locally). And the museum opposite the cathedral has finds at a local Roman villa which I really liked.


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