Beauvais Cathedral

This structure is a Gothic place of worship in the northern French town and stands as the tallest vaulted building of its kind. The building consists of a completed choir with radiating chapels, a short transept, and no nave, with the choir vault reaching roughly 48.5 meters.

The first works started in 1225 under bishop Milo of Nanteuil, following several fires that destroyed the earlier basilica. A tower added between 1569 and 1573 collapsed shortly after completion and was never rebuilt.

The name comes from the Latin Caesaromagus, the Roman origin of the settlement, while the modern designation refers to the Bellovaci tribe. Visitors today notice two monumental astronomical clocks inside, with the newer one from the 19th century displaying moving figures and multiple dials that represent time in different ways.

Access is available daily, and wheelchair-friendly routes allow everyone to visit. Guided tours run throughout the year and help to understand the architectural details better.

Between 1569 and 1573, the tower here reached a height of 153 meters and stood as the tallest human-made structure in the world. Its collapse ended all further plans to ever complete the building with a full nave.

Location: Beauvais

Inception: 1225

Architects: Martin Chambiges

Architectural style: Rayonnant

Height: 67.2 m

Length: 72.5 m

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Made from material: limestone

Address: 85 Rue Saint-Pierre, 60000 Beauvais, France

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:15

Phone: +33344481160

Website: https://cathedrale-beauvais.fr

GPS coordinates: 49.43250,2.08139

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:37