Cathedrale Saint Etienne Interieur Chalons © Jean Côme Nicolle

Saint-Etienne Cathedral

From Romanesque to Baroque

Saint-Etienne Cathedral is a testimony to an architectural evolution spanning five centuries, more precisely, from the 12th to the 17th century. The construction began in Romanesque style and continued through the Gothic and Baroque periods. Over the course of 700 years, its history has been marked by a series of extensions, renovations and reconstructions.

Stunning

architectural treasures

Step inside this magnificent illuminated cathedral with its three levels of windows (large arcades, triforium, high windows) and discover:

Vitraux Cathedrale St Etienne Chalons © Jean Côme Nicolle

Exceptional stained-glass windows

The earliest stained-glass windows can be found in the Treasury and date from the middle of the 12th century. Those in the nave date from the 13th to the 15th and 19th centuries. The colours used, such as the green in the rose on the north transept, and the blues and reds, have a remarkable transparency.

Cathedrale St Etienne Chalons Allee © Jean Côme Nicolle

The ledgerstones

Many ledgerstones of noblemen and clergy were used as simple paving after the French Revolution. The most exceptional ones were found in the ambulatory. Their simple yet elegant designs bear witness to a high level of craftsmanship.

Tableau De La Consecration Cathedrale Saint Etienne

The painting depicting the consecration of the cathedral by Pope Eugene III

In the Saint Etienne chapel, you can find a painting depicting the consecration of the cathedral by Pope Eugene III in 1147, which dates back to the 15th century and is one of the only medieval paintings to have been conserved in a church in Champagne Ardenne.

The organ cabinet

The instrumental part of the organ cabinet is the work of the English organ maker John Abbey, who delivered it in 1849. In 1898, his sons transformed the instrument into a symphonic organ, capable of playing all types of music. It boasts 54 stops.

A beautiful story

700 years of transformation

In the 1200s, the cathedral stood in the heart of the canonical district, which occupied a quarter of the old Gallo-Roman city. It was a real city within a city, with a bishop’s palace, churches, canon houses, a library, a school, a prison, even a hospital, and all of which are no longer in existence.

From the original Romanesque construction in the 12th century, only the crypt and the base of the north transept tower (1) remain. Following a fire in 1138, the north transept (2) was rebuilt.

During the years that followed, the nave was reconstructed in a Gothic style and the south arm of the transept (3) was completed in 1215.

Cathedrale St Etienne Chalons Detail Poteau Vitraux © Jean Côme Nicolle

Cathedrale Saint Etienne Chalons En Champagne © Jean Côme Nicolle

Cathedrale Saint Etienne Chalons Entree Ouest © Jean Côme Nicolle

The main façade (6) was built between 1628 and 1634. Characteristic of Baroque architecture, the columns and pilasters, drapery and sculpted decorations contrast with the rest of the building.

In 1668, lightning struck the spire of the north tower. The damage meant that major reconstruction of the apse (7) was necessary and the transept towers were finished with stone spires.

During the French Revolution, many of the statues were destroyed. After being used as stables, the church was repaired throughout the 19th century. Hardly touched by the two World Wars, the cathedral was given a new lease of life in the 1980s when it underwent major restoration work, leading to its reopening in 2009.

Practical information

This 10-step tour allows you to discover all the main features in Saint-Etienne Cathedral. Simply download the IdVizi app to your mobile and select the “Saint-Etienne Cathedral” tour.