Bourges Cathedral

Bourges Cathedral is in Bourges, Centre-Val de Loire, France and is an uNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral celebrated for its architectural unity, sculpted portals and medieval stained glass.. Bourges was already an important Christian centre in late antiquity, and UNESCO notes worship on the cathedral site from the 3rd century.

The present Cathedral of St. Stephen was built from the late 12th to the late 13th century. Its five-aisled plan, continuous spatial design, sculpted portals and stained glass distinguish it from many contemporary French cathedrals. Architecturally, the site is principally Gothic.

Its documented heritage context includes Major Gothic cathedral; it is also recorded as World Heritage Site — Bourges Cathedral (1992). Dedicated to St. Stephen, the cathedral stands on a site used for Christian worship since antiquity. Its plan uses five naves and dispenses with a conventional transept, creating an unusually unified interior.

UNESCO particularly notes the tympanum, monumental sculpture and stained glass, which together preserve a major record of medieval theology, craft and cathedral life.