Cathedral of St Louis (Plovdiv) Cathedral of St Louis (Plovdiv) The Cathedral of St Louis (, "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
History of Plovdiv tradition. The name "Plovdiv" first appeared around that time and is derived from the city's Thracian name "Pulpudeva" (assumed to be a translation of Philippopolis, from Pulpu = Philippou and deva = city), which was rendered by the Slavs first as "Pəldin" ("Пълдин") or "Pləvdin". Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Plovdiv was a focal point for the Bulgarian national movement. During that period Plovdiv was an economic center along with Constantinople, Odrin and Thessaloniki. Due to trade, the emerging Bulgarian bourgeoisie became significant in the society. Trading with Russia and Europe these people experienced political and cultural influences.