Welcome!
On behalf of the Chapter, I welcome you to the official website of Metz Cathedral.
For those of you who would like to visit the Cathedral, to experience its history and architecture, to take your time to gaze upon this unique church which is more than 800 years old, a part of the French heritage and mother church of the Diocese of Metz; for those of you who need to breathe new life into yourself, on your own or with your family in the silence, with prayer, our services, the warm welcome from the canons, a pilgrimage, or simply by offering a votive candle or a prayer request in the prayer box.
For those of you who seek the Light: we welcome you to this incredible place that Paul Verlaine rightfully dubbed: ‘la lanterne du Bon Dieu’, ‘The Good Lord’s Lantern’.
No matter who you are, whether you are a believer or not, Metz Cathedral is open to everyone as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in France.
This website allows you to discover it, through services, religious and cultural events, links and media, and especially gatherings and people, to enrich your visit with the hope that lives within us all.
I hope you enjoy this opportunity to discover and have a fulfilling experience in this place which is so rich in grace and light.
Yours sincerely,
Canon Dominique THIRY
Cathedral’s Guardian
Nous contacter
Chapitre cathédral
2 Place de Chambre
57000 Metz
Tél. 03 87 36 12 01
Mail : cathedralemetz@outlook.fr
Annonces
Worship and faith
How to get to the Cathedral ?
The Cathedral is located on the Place d’Armes. You can travel here by car. There is a free car park nearby, below the covered market.
By bus: Take the N83 route to Place d’Armes or take the Mettis A and B routes (to République)
Opening hours
The Cathedral is open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Services and Masses at the Cathedral
On weekdays, the service and Chapter Mass is at 9 a.m.
On Sundays and public holidays, Masses begin at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m.
Confessions and reception
Monday to Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (after the service) and Tuesday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (access to the reception area via the walkway, on the right hand side of the choir).
Guided tours
For groups, guided tours in the Cathedral are offered by the Oeuvre de la cathédrale and by the Metz Tourist Office.
Dernières actualités
Vigile pascale et messe de Pâques en la cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz
Office de la Passion en la cathédrale
Messe du Jeudi saint en la cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Metz
Heritage
The most remarkable aspects of the Cathedral are the traces from back when it was first built (1220-1522). The architect, Blondel, made his own contribution by adding the portal which was connected through the pavilions to the arches in the ‘Place d’Armes’. In the 19th century, notably due to the influence of Tornow, it was decided that the South portal would be refurbished and a Gothic-style one would be erected in its place to replace Blondel’s portal.
The alterations made in the 20th century brought a particular luminosity to the Cathedral, which is what makes this building so unique. This was the inspiration behind the name ‘The Good Lord’s Lantern’. Cathedral of Saint Stephen (Metz Cathedral) is the most visited monument in this city. Many foreigners stop to visit this prestigious building, which is among the vastest and tallest in France, and it never fails to impress its visitors. It is listed in the state of France as an official historic monument. For many years, the French State, has carried out the maintenance of the building and allocates an important budget to undertake interior and exterior renovation.
On 10 October 1988, John Paul II made a historic visit to the religious building. In memory of this event, the square next to the building was named John Paul II Square. It was inaugurated on 17 December 2006, at the same time the Cathedral’s choir was refurbished.
The Cathedral in Numbers
- Nave height: 41.41 meters
- Nave length: 76 meters
- Total length of the building: 123 meters
- 6,500 m² of stained glass windows
- Height of the Tower of Mutte: 90 meters
- 700,000 visitors per year
Reportage : "Confidences d'une cathédrale"
Autour de la cathédrale
Organising a cultural event
at the Cathedral
Would you like to organise a cultural event at Metz Cathedral? Because of the type of event, you must receive authorisation from two parties: from the Architect of the ‘Bâtiments de France‘ the sole person responsible for security and the representative of the State which owns the place of worship, and from the occupant, represented by the Chapter of this Cathedral.
There is only one way to process your application: first, contact the Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP), and your request will also be sent to the Chapter.
Address:
UDAP
M. l’Architecte des Bâtiments de France,
10-12 place Saint-Étienne
57000 Metz
Tel: +33 (0)3 87 36 08 27
Email: udap.moselle@culture.gouv.fr
Right after you have obtained authorisation from both parties, for safety and security reasons, the organiser will ensure they comply with the binding conditions of the SSD (single document on safety), which the UDAP will inform you of. So that the nature of this place is respected, he will comply with the access conditions set by the Chapter in the convention that can be downloaded from this website.
WHY IS THIS PLACE SO SPECIAL?
In public law, as in ecclesiastical law, churches are places of worship or houses of prayer. You have free access and it is free of charge during regular opening hours They are neither regular public places, nor concert halls or audition rooms.
This place is a building dedicated solely to Catholic worship (inside and outside – e.g. the porch – and not only within the opening hours during celebrations), to allow Catholics to express their faith publicly and freely. For them, the cathedral is a sacred place, the mother church of the diocese where the bishop’s throne (the cathedra) is. This show its importance. The believers build it to nurture the faith of believers. It is a place of religious conviction which is, of course, open to everybody, whether they are a believer or not.
A cultural event could occasionally be allowed, provided that the spirit of this sacred religious place is respected:
- by the works, repertoire, religious heritage and artistic productions that should be capable of elevating the human mind and opening it to the spiritual values found in cultures;
- by the performers and the expected audience: appropriate clothing and behaviour;
- by the goal of the event that should be in line with the Catholic faith, Christian ethics, and the decisions of the Magisterium.
In accordance with the law protecting freedom of conscience and religion, only the Cathedral Chapter is able to judge the suitability. It alone is the judge of the compatibility of the cultural event.
Given the tight schedule of the Cathedral, your application will need to be processed at least two months before the date of the event.
Warning: if the audience exceeds the maximum capacity, the organiser must comply with the authorisation of a GN6 to the Prefecture. This would mean your application will take longer to process.
Thank you for understanding our requirements, which are there to protect the sacred spirit of this place and to provide future generations with what previous generations succeeded in protecting for us all.
ŒUVRE DE LA
CATHÉDRALE
MAÎTRISE DE LA
CATHÉDRALE
ORGUES DE LA
CATHÉDRALE
OFFICE DE TOURISME
DE METZ
ARCHIPRÊTRÉ
DE METZ-CENTRE
PASTORALE DU
TOURISME ET DES LOISIRS
Traduction : Alessio Bellocco et Ayman Hamim, étudiants Langues étrangères appliquées (LEA), UFR ALL Metz, Université de Lorraine
Relecteurs : Mélissa Delhaye https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-delhaye-french-translator/ et Sean Earley https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-earley-english-translator/