One of the oldest baptisteries in France

The baptistery, built in the fifth century and roughly square in plan, is one of the earliest witnesses to the early cathedral group. Its rusticated facing, similar to that of the other buildings, gave the ensemble the appearance of a fortified place.

The Fréjus baptistery is one of the oldest in France, and also one of the best preserved.

It is a rare example of early Christian architecture . In the centre was an octagonal pool, covered in white marble veneer, which was used for baptism by immersion according to the original practice of this rite.

Cathédrale Saint-Léonce de Fréjus, baptistère
© Philippe Berthé / Centre des monuments nationaux

Catechumens entered through a small door to the left of today's entrance and left through a larger door to the right after the sacrament, which gave them the right to enter the sacred space of the cathedral.

The building's dome was restored in 1930 by Jules Formigé (1876-1930), chief architect of historical monuments.