The story of this place
Bourges Cathedral, built mostly between 1195 and 1230, broke the rules of Gothic design: it has no transept, giving it a unique unbroken pyramidal silhouette, and its interior achieves a soaring, unified sweep of space by nesting a tall inner nave within lower aisles. Its five great sculpted portals across the west front, and its glorious 13th-century stained glass—among the oldest and finest in France—make it a masterpiece rivalling Chartres. The cathedral rises over a city that was a Roman capital and, in 1137, saw the wedding of the future Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Its astronomical clock has ticked since 1424. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.