Why go
The doors bring together Old Testament prophets and ancient sibyls, figures whom medieval Christian scholars interpreted as foretelling Christ. Around them, fruit, animals and fantastic creatures turn the woodwork into a dense symbolic composition. This is a chance to understand how a cathedral doorway could carry teaching through both human figures and decorative detail.
What to look for
- Four Old Testament prophets project in high relief from the walnut doors.
- A carved basilisk combines a cock with a snake’s tail.
The full story
The cathedral chapter commissioned the walnut doors in 1505. Raymond and Jean Bolhit of Aix worked on them with the Toulon sculptor Jean Guiramand. Four major Old Testament prophets appear in high relief, projecting strongly from the wood rather than forming a flat pattern. Above them are twelve sibyls, the prophetic women of antiquity. Their presence reflects a Christian interpretation of classical traditions: medieval scholars honoured them as foretelling Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. The pairing of prophets and sibyls is therefore central to the programme of imagery. The frames contain pomegranates, acorns and grapes, alongside a lion, dragons and other fantastic animals. A basilisk combines a cock with a snake’s tail. These details carry the theme of a struggle between good and evil into the carved borders, giving the smaller forms a role beyond ornament.