cathedraloscope

		This new cultural and tourist venue in Brittany is located in the centre of Dol, a town just off the Caen-Brest dual carriageway, near Combourg, and halfway between Saint-Malo and Mont Saint-Michel. The Centre faces Dol Cathedral a mere 50 yds. Away and is housed in a former technical high school built in the 19^th century and now totally refurbished to cater for the Centre’s needs. The layout was designed and built by the Itinérance agency which also created the "Imaginaires" sound and light experience at Mont Saint-Michel. As visitors tour the Centre, they follow an itinerary based on the main idea behind the construction of any cathedral – the quest for light.
Two major themes underline the visit – the Building and Builders of Cathedrals, and the Symbolic and Instructive Dimension of Cathedrals. The themes are illustrated by numerous models, frescoes, photographs, and drawings. All of them provide visitors with deeper insight into the subject. The first floor is given over to cathedral architecture. It explains the stages in construction, the technical terms used and building techniques, with special attention to the people who were involved in the construction of cathedrals.
		On the second floor, a viewing platform provides visitors with a highly unusual view of the nearby cathedral in all its majestic beauty. The platform is on a level with the flying buttresses. Another room contains a display relating to the symbolism in cathedrals which were a terrestrial representation of Jerusalem, the Celestial City.