By entering the cathedral through the crypt (via Cours Saint-Pierre), discover the fascinating history of the tomb of François II, Michel Colombe’s early 16th century masterpiece, which was influenced by the Italian Renaissance.
After the five years it took to complete the tomb, it was moved around quite a bit before finding its home in the transept of the Cathédrale de Nantes – more than two hundred years after its completion. Anne de Bretagne commissioned Colombe to make the white Carrara marble tomb, which is covered in symbolic representations and would house the remains of her parents, François II and Marguerite de Foix, the last Duke of Brittany’s second wife. Given the scale and the height of the work, the average visitor cannot see the upper part of the tomb. Le Voyage à Nantes therefore had a light structure built to allow for a privileged point of view of the work and, for 2013, has added additional lighting.
Special thanks to the Diocese and Bâtiments de France.
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© Marc Domage
