Saint Etienne cathedral basilica

A worksite 350 years old…

Construction of the Cathedral Saint Etienne began in the 12th century and was completed three centuries later with the construction of the north tower (60 metres high). The structure thus combines the various phases of Gothic architecture, from the classical style dating back to the end of the 12th century up to the flamboyant style of the 15th.

The two first eastern bays of the nave are the oldest parts of the cathedral. The choir, a splendid piece of architecture constructed and completed a century later by the architect Gautier de Varinfroy, is famous for its luminosity, the delicacy of the architecture and the height of the vaults.

Visitors admire the many ornamental sculptures decorating the spandrels of the five portals of the Cathedral -- mute witnesses to the violence of the Wars of Religion which shook Meaux to its foundations, particularly, in June 1562.

Also to be noted are the stained glass window depicting the Crucifixion (16th century), the great western Rose Window (15th century) and the magnificent Organ, work of Valéran de Héman (12th century).