Angoulême Cathedral: Exterior detail, south porch

Dedicated to St Pierre, Angoulême Cathedral is one of the most distinguished buildings in western France, despite having been heavily restored and altered in the 19th century by Paul Abadie. It was built in the first half of the 12th century, with a consecration in 1128 during the episcopacy of the legate Girard d'Angoulême. The church has a cruciform plan with an aisleless nave of three bays, a transept and choir with radiating, apsidal chapels. The nave and crossing are spanned by large domes. The most likely date for the sculpture is between 1110 and 1130. The iconographic programme of the façade combines the Ascension and the Second Coming.