Bourges Cathedral

Saint Stephen of Bourges Saint-Étienne de Bourges
Bourges Cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
Province	Archdiocese of Bourges
Region	Centre-Val de Loire
Rite	Roman
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Location
Location	Bourges, France
Geographic coordinates	47°04′55″N 2°23′58″E / 47.08194°N 2.39944°E / 47.08194; 2.39944
Architecture
Type	Church
Style	High Gothic, Romanesque
Groundbreaking	1195 (1195)
Completed	c. 1230 (1230)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Bourges Cathedral
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iv
Designated	1992, modified 2013
Reference no.	635bis
State Party	France
Region	Europe and North America
Session	16th

Bourges Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges) is a Roman Catholic church located in Bourges, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Stephen and is the seat of the Archbishop of Bourges. Built atop an earlier Romanesque church from 1195 until 1230, it is largely in the High Gothic or Classic Gothic architectural style and was constructed at about the same time as Chartres Cathedral. The cathedral is particularly known for the great size and unity of its interior, the sculptural decoration of its portals, and the large collection of 13th century stained glass windows.^[1] Owing to its quintessential Gothic architecture, the cathedral was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.^[2]