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42°8′40″N 24°45′9″E / 42.14444°N 24.75250°E / 42.14444; 24.75250

The Cathedral of St Louis (Bulgarian: катедрала „Свети Лудвиг“, katedrala „Sveti Ludvig“) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Co-cathedral of the Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv together with the Cathedral of St Joseph in Sofia, it is one of the largest and most important Roman Catholic places of worship in the country. It was named after Louis IX of France, commonly known as "Saint Louis".

The cathedral was constructed in the 1850s, during the time of vicar Andrea Canova. The first organ in Bulgaria was installed in the cathedral in 1861, later replaced with a newer and larger one. A fire severely damaged the cathedral in 1931 and destroyed the wood-carved ceiling. The cathedral was reconstructed, with Krastyo Stamatov creating the frescoes and Kamen Petkov being the main architect. The cathedral was once again inaugurated on 8 May 1932. Architecturally, it features an eclectic combination of Neoclassicism and Neo-Baroque.

The belfry was built in 1898 and was equipped with five bells cast in the German city of Bochum, a gift from Pope Leo XIII. A new 12-stop pipe organ was installed in 1991.

Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, first wife of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, is buried inside the cathedral, at the far end, to the right of the altar. An inscription in Bulgarian and Latin on her life can be read on both sides of the tomb.

Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral on 26 May 2002, and met with members of a local Roman Catholic Church youth group.

References

1. Rangelova, Bistra (n.d.). "IVAN MRKVIČKA (1856–1938): Portrait of Princess Maria Louisa, 1900". National Gallery of Bulgaria. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
2. "APOSTOLIC VOYAGE OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II IN AZERBAIJAN AND BULGARIA: 22-26 MAY 2002" (PDF). The Vatican. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

External links

• Religious Identity of Bulgarian Catholics’ Communities, by Račiūnaitė-Paužuolienė at Academia.edu

v t e City of Plovdiv
Geography	Areas Thrace Rivers Maritsa River Hills Markovo Tepe Nebet Tepe Bunardzhika Sahat Taksim Dzhambaz Dzhendem
Landmarks	Roman ruins Forum Odeon Library Stadium Roman theatre Synagogue Great Basilica Small Basilica East Gate Domus Eirene Places of worship Cathedral of St Louis Church of the Holy Mother of God Church of St Constantine and Helena Plovdiv Synagogue Dzhumaya Mosque Museums Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum Other Ivan Vazov National Library International Fair Plovdiv Alyosha Monument
Sports	PFC Botev Plovdiv PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv FC Maritsa Plovdiv FC Spartak Plovdiv Plovdiv Stadium Hristo Botev Stadium Lokomotiv Stadium Todor Diev Stadium
Education	Plovdiv University Plovdiv Medical University Sts. Cyril and Methodius High School of Humanities Plovdiv Language School
Events	The Golden Chest A Scene on Crossroad
Transportation	Plovdiv Airport Plovdiv Central railway station Plovdiv trolleybus system
People	List of people from Plovdiv
History	Timeline

• Roman Catholic churches completed in 1861
• 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Bulgaria
• Churches in Plovdiv
• Baroque Revival architecture in Bulgaria
• Roman Catholic churches in Bulgaria
• Burial sites of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Bulgaria)
• 1861 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
• Roman Catholic cathedrals in Bulgaria
• Neoclassical church buildings in Bulgaria