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Origin and history

Saint-Étienne de Sens Cathedral, located in the Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is one of the first Gothic churches of Christianity, built since 1130-1135 under the impulse of Archbishop Henri Sanglier. Its revolutionary architecture, marked by sexpartite vaults and bows, makes it a model for later cathedrals such as Notre-Dame de Paris. Consecrated in 1164 by Pope Alexander III, it symbolizes the power of the Archdiocese of Sens, then primate of Gauls, and its spiritual and political influence.

The building spans four centuries, with major additions such as the flamboyant Gothic transept (1490-1517) designed by Martin Chambiges, or the south tower completed in 1534. The cathedral is also the scene of historical events, such as the wedding of Saint Louis in 1234 or the reception of Thomas Becket in exile. Its treasure includes 13th century stained glass windows, remarkable sculptures such as the funeral monument of the Salazar, and two medieval bumblebees, the Savinian and the Potentian, rare survivors of revolutionary destruction.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1840, the cathedral underwent restorations after the deterioration of the Revolution, which saw its maze, its funeral slabs and part of its statuary disappear. Its adjacent archiepiscopal palace, today a museum, and the synodal hall restored by Viollet-le-Duc testify to its central role in medieval religious and judicial life. Construction materials, such as Lutetian limestone imported from Paris, underline the ambition and resources mobilized for this project.

The western facade, with its three portals dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, Saint Stephen and the Virgin, illustrates the evolution of medieval sculpture. The central portal, recaptured from a collapse in 1268, contrasts the wise and mad virgins, while the rosacea of the transept, like that of the heavenly Concert (62 musical angels), are jewels of glass art. The nave, broad and luminous, and the choir with radiant chapels reflect Gothic innovations, despite later developments such as the 18th century jube.

The cathedral also houses royal tombs, including that of the dolphin Louis (1765) and his wife Marie-Josèphe de Saxony, parents of Louis XVI, carved by Guillaume Coustou. These elements, combined with its historic organ (15th-15th centuries) and its narrative stained glass windows (paraboles, life of the saints), make it a place of exceptional memory and heritage. His influence extended to Canterbury, where Guillaume de Sens directed the work after the 1174 fire, thus spreading the Gothic style in England.

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