{"id":404,"date":"2023-07-24T16:17:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T14:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lacathedraledelinard.fr\/history\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:03:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:03:36","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"page-header\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n        <nav class=\"block-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"breadcrumb\">\n            <ul class=\"breadcrumb\">\n                <li class=\"breadcrumb-item\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/\">Home<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                <li class=\"breadcrumb-item\">\/<\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\">History<\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/nav>\n        <div class=\"logo \">\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/logo-1.png\" alt=\"La Cath\u00e9drale Jean Linard\"\/>\n                            \n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/header>\n<main>\n    <section class=\"section section--decouvrir\">\n        <div class=\"row row--top\">\n            <div class=\"container\">\n                <div class=\"section__column\">\n                    <header class=\"section__header\">\n                        <h2 class=\"section__title\">Discover the story<\/h2>\n                        <p class=\"section__subtitle\">A few words about the artist <br \/>\r\nand his work<\/p>\n                    <\/header>\n\n                    <div class=\"section__content\">\n                        <div class=\"section__text\"><p>Artist, potter, sculptor, engraver, painter and builder,<br \/>\nJean Linard was born in 1931 in La Marche, near<br \/>\nLa Charit\u00e9-sur-Loire. He studied engraving in Paris at the \u00c9cole<br \/>\nEstienne, then returned to his native region.<br \/>\nWith ceramist Anne Kjaersgaard, he set up as<br \/>\npotter in La Borne in 1959. Then, in 1961, he bought a<br \/>\nformer flint quarry and built the<br \/>\nliving quarters on the model of a Danish farm, followed by the<br \/>\nworkshops. He continued to develop his house until the end of the 70s.<br \/>\nIn the early 80s, he began his work:<br \/>\nbuilding his Cathedral in the resolutely universal spirit of<br \/>\n. You are welcomed by Jesus. You&#8217;ll see more<br \/>\nof Joseph and Mary, as well as Buddha and Mohammed.<br \/>\nLa Cath\u00e9drale is in fact the whole garden: you&#8217;ll see<br \/>\nmany of the attributes of a religious building: the path<br \/>\nof crosses along the workshops, the gongs after the entrance which<br \/>\nrepresent the cathedral bells, a baptistery<br \/>\nstuck to the workshops, an altar&#8230;<br \/>\nHe was inspired by the artists of Art Singulier: Gaud\u00ed, le Facteur<br \/>\nCheval and Picassiette, as well as Picasso, Chagall, Dubuffet&#8230;<br \/>\nHis garden became a work of art that he nurtured throughout<br \/>\nhis life, populated by fantastic pottery, even on the<br \/>\nroofs, and by two-meter-high figures in<br \/>\niron and mosaic, whom he called &#8220;the Guardians of the Temple&#8221;.<br \/>\nHe uses a variety of techniques and materials to create<br \/>\nhis works: stoneware, iron, mosaic, cement and recycled objects.<br \/>\nWith his work representative of Art Brut, Art Singulier,<br \/>\nArt Insolite, deeply religious, Jean Linard has created<br \/>\nan enchanted world where peace and serenity reign. His spirit<br \/>\nlives on, his ashes having been scattered<br \/>\naround the grave he built himself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"section__image\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/artiste.png\" alt=\"D\u00e9couvrez la Cath\u00e9drale \nde Jean Linard\"\/>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"row row--bottom\">\n            <div class=\"container\">\n\n                                        <div class=\"block-image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/item_1.png\" alt=\"\"\/>\n                        <\/div>\n                                            <div class=\"block-image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/item_2.png\" alt=\"\"\/>\n                        <\/div>\n                                            <div class=\"block-image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/item_3.png\" alt=\"\"\/>\n                        <\/div>\n                    \n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <section class=\"section section--symbole\" data-type=\"right\">\n        <div class=\"section__image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/symbole.png\" alt=\"Un symbole de l\u2019Art\nSingulier au coeur\ndu Berry :\"\/>\n                    <\/div>\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <div class=\"section__column\">\n                <header class=\"section__header\">\n                    <h2 class=\"section__title\">A symbol of Outsider <br \/>\r\nArt in the heart<br \/>\r\nof Berry:<\/h2>\n                    <p class=\"section__subtitle\">the tallest cathedral\r\nin the world\u2026<\/p>\n                <\/header>\n\n                <div class=\"section__content\">\n                    <div class=\"section__text\"><p>After building his home and workshops in a former<br \/>\nflint quarry, in 1983 Jean Linard, potter turned<br \/>\nceramist, began construction of his life&#8217;s work<br \/>\nin his garden: an open-air cathedral,<br \/>\naccording to the artist himself: the highest cathedral in<br \/>\nthe world, because its roof is the sky! He devoted the last<br \/>\n27 years of his life to it.<br \/>\nMade of stone and brick, partly covered with<br \/>\nmosaics, and incorporating various salvaged materials,<br \/>\nthis 10 m high cathedral is<br \/>\nresolutely universal.<br \/>\nReligion was not his only source of inspiration:<br \/>\nyou can see the names of artists he admired<br \/>\nas well as those of peace figures to whom he wished to pay tribute<br \/>\nsuch as Mandela, Sister Emmanuelle,<br \/>\nMother Teresa, Martin Luther King&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <section class=\"section section--symbole\" data-type=\"left\">\n        <div class=\"section__image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/qui-sommes-nous.png\" alt=\"Qui sommes-nous ?\"\/>\n                    <\/div>\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <div class=\"section__column\">\n                <header class=\"section__header\">\n                    <h2 class=\"section__title\">Who we are<\/h2>\n                    <p class=\"section__subtitle\">Charlotte and William<\/p>\n                <\/header>\n\n                <div class=\"section__content\">\n                    <div class=\"section__text\"><p>We are a couple in our thirties,<br \/>\npastry chefs by trade, who fell in love with this monument.<br \/>\nCharlotte has known the site since childhood.<br \/>\nHer first vocation was cooking, and soon<br \/>\npastry-making. After five years of gourmet studies,<br \/>\nshe was recruited by renowned chefs: Michel Rostang,<br \/>\ntwo-starred chef, pastry chefs<br \/>\nPierre Herm\u00e9, then Yann Couvreur and Christophe Michalak,<br \/>\nfor whom she became Assistant Chef.<br \/>\nWilliam, the son of a farmer, grew up in the Vend\u00e9e region.<br \/>\nVery early on, he developed a passion for pastry-making, pursuing<br \/>\nhis studies to enter the world of the sweet. After graduating from<br \/>\nin bakery, he specialized in chocolate-making,<br \/>\nworking in a number of famous houses, from the Alps<br \/>\nto Corsica, until he was hired by<br \/>\nChristophe Michalak, where he met Charlotte.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <section class=\"section section--symbole\" data-type=\"right\">\n        <div class=\"section__image\">\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/charlotte-william.png\" alt=\"Charlotte et William\"\/>\n                    <\/div>\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <div class=\"section__column\">\n                <div class=\"section__content\">\n                    <div class=\"section__text\"><p>After Jean Linard&#8217;s death in 2010, the site was put<br \/>\nup for sale, then listed as a Monuments Historiques<br \/>\nin 2012 and managed by an association from 2013 to 2019.<br \/>\nAt the end of 2019, it was closed by municipal decree for<br \/>\nsafety reasons and left abandoned.<br \/>\nIn September 2020, Charlotte, who has always known this<br \/>\nplace, her parents having settled near Henrichemont,<br \/>\nshowed it to her companion. The site was still for sale&#8230;<br \/>\nAfter 22 months of transaction and search for<br \/>\nfinancing, the banks having failed to follow (2020:<br \/>\nin the middle of COVID and an atypical site, listed as a Historic Monument,<br \/>\nin poor condition requiring major work<br \/>\nand for sale for 10 years&#8230;) Charlotte and William were able<br \/>\nto finally sign the deed of sale in June 2022. After passing<br \/>\nthrough the Safety Commission, they were able to open<br \/>\nto visitors on July 14, 2022.<br \/>\nTheir aim is to save and restore the work, and to share<br \/>\nthis place by enabling as many people as possible to<br \/>\ndiscover or rediscover it. It&#8217;s a rare example<br \/>\nof Singular Art, to be preserved.<br \/>\nThey would like to share their know-how with you, and<br \/>\nallow you to extend a moment out of time, in<br \/>\nthis very special setting. This site needs to be brought back to life. To contribute to this,<br \/>\nand in the same spirit as Jean Linard, the amphitheatre once again hosts a<br \/>\ncultural program. You&#8217;ll find<br \/>\ntheir homemade products at the reception desk, as a souvenir of the past or as a gift.<br \/>\nIf you&#8217;d like to be kept informed of developments in their project<br \/>\nand to support them, don&#8217;t hesitate to sign up for the newsletter.<br \/>\nThank you in advance for your participation in saving this site!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <section class=\"section section--redirections\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n            <header class=\"section__header\">\n                <h2 class=\"section__title\">Preparing your visit<\/h2>\n            <\/header>\n\n            <div class=\"section__content\">\n\n                                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/visit\/\" class=\"block--redirection\">\n                            <div class=\"block__figure\">\n                                                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/DSC08225.png\" alt=\"Visit\"\/>\n                                                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__content\">\n                                <h3 class=\"block__title\">Visit<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"block__text\"><p>Open from Easter to All Saints&#8217; Day<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__footer\">\n                            <span class=\"btn btn--redirect\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"1em\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\">\n                                    <path d=\"M256 80c0-17.7-14.3-32-32-32s-32 14.3-32 32V224H48c-17.7 0-32 14.3-32 32s14.3 32 32 32H192V432c0 17.7 14.3 32 32 32s32-14.3 32-32V288H400c17.7 0 32-14.3 32-32s-14.3-32-32-32H256V80z\"\/><\/svg>\n                            <\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/a>\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/restaurant\/\" class=\"block--redirection\">\n                            <div class=\"block__figure\">\n                                                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Copie-de-DSC06447.png\" alt=\"Restaurant\"\/>\n                                                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__content\">\n                                <h3 class=\"block__title\">Restaurant<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"block__text\"><p>Sous la Glycine le Restaurant &#8211;<br \/>\nCathedral tearoom<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__footer\">\n                            <span class=\"btn btn--redirect\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"1em\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\">\n                                    <path d=\"M256 80c0-17.7-14.3-32-32-32s-32 14.3-32 32V224H48c-17.7 0-32 14.3-32 32s14.3 32 32 32H192V432c0 17.7 14.3 32 32 32s32-14.3 32-32V288H400c17.7 0 32-14.3 32-32s-14.3-32-32-32H256V80z\"\/><\/svg>\n                            <\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/a>\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/agenda\/\" class=\"block--redirection\">\n                            <div class=\"block__figure\">\n                                                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/340748321_755035169324323_5117922680791399903_n.png\" alt=\"Events\"\/>\n                                                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__content\">\n                                <h3 class=\"block__title\">Events<\/h3>\n                                <div class=\"block__text\"><p>Discover the Estivales<br \/>\nat the Cathedral!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"block__footer\">\n                            <span class=\"btn btn--redirect\">\n                                <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" height=\"1em\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\">\n                                    <path d=\"M256 80c0-17.7-14.3-32-32-32s-32 14.3-32 32V224H48c-17.7 0-32 14.3-32 32s14.3 32 32 32H192V432c0 17.7 14.3 32 32 32s32-14.3 32-32V288H400c17.7 0 32-14.3 32-32s-14.3-32-32-32H256V80z\"\/><\/svg>\n                            <\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/main>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-404","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":514,"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/404\/revisions\/514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lacathedraledelinard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}