Beauvais Cathedral

About this place

Beauvais Cathedral, otherwise known as the Cathedral of Saint Peter of Beauvais, is a Catholic cathedral in the northern town of Beauvais, Oise, France. It is the seat of the Bishop of Beauvais, Noyon and Senlis and has been listed as a national monument since 1840. The cathedral consists of a 13th-century choir, with an apse and seven polygonal apsidal chapels reached by an ambulatory, joined to a 16th-century transept. It has the highest Gothic choir in the world: 48.5 metres under vault. From 1569 to 1573 the cathedral of Beauvais was, with its tower of 153 m, the highest human construction of the world. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.