Painted ceilings, an imagined medieval world

The painted ceilings of the Fréjus cloister, dating from the 14th century, take you on a journey into the creative world of medieval image painters.

You will be amazed by a unique collection of boards (also known as closoirs) inserted between the ceiling joists . Here you can discover an inventive and surprising bestiary that depicts a vision of life in the Middle Ages. Other themes include religion, war and the trades.

The ceiling of the Fréjus cloister originally comprised more than 1,200 painted panels. Despite the ravages of time, more than 300 images can still be admired.

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

This exceptional framework, an expression of an imagination common to medieval Mediterranean Europe, is reminiscent in many ways of monuments in medieval Spain and Occitania, such as Teruel Cathedral.

There are also workshops where you can learn about the trades involved in building the episcopal group, and why not try your hand at painting with natural pigments ?