Its reputation can be summed up in one phrase: "the little sister of Notre Dame de Paris". Like its elder, the Saint-Étienne Cathedral of Meaux is an open book of Gothic architecture. Except that it took three and a half centuries to write it: construction began in 1175 and was completed around 1540. In between, the early Gothic style gave way to the Rayonnant and then the Flamboyant styles, and each generation of builders added its own chapter to the edifice.

For the 850th anniversary of the start of this construction,, the Bossuet Museum is dedicating a major exhibition to the cathedral. The exhibition intertwines history, archaeology, and art history in four parts: the medieval construction site, the decorations, the major restoration campaigns, and the monument's place in the city's collective imagination. Major loans, notably from the Louvre Museum, accompany the narrative. For Saint-Étienne is anything but a static cathedral.

Classified as a historical monument as early as 1840, it has undergone several periods of restoration since the 19th century. Its newly restored Black Tower was inaugurated in February 2026. Beneath its vaults rests Bossuet, "the Eagle of Meaux," after whom the museum is named. Eight and a half centuries after the first shovel hit the ground, Saint Étienne continues to be restored and to tell its story.

THE BLACK TOWER
The Black Tower was only intended to be temporary. Built out of wood to house the bells during construction, it was never replaced.. Over the centuries, it has become one of the symbols of Meaux, and is a rare example of a medieval wooden bell tower preserved to this day.

THE SCULPTED PORTALS
The cathedral preserves on its portals an exceptional collection of sculptures, from the 13th to the 14th century, which illustrates the evolution of Gothic art. Higher up, gargoyles and hidden sculptures await the patient eye. A book in stone that the exhibition helps to decipher.

THE CATHEDRAL OF THE PEOPLE OF MELD
The last section of the exhibition belongs to the inhabitants. upstream, the museum launched a collection of tourist and commemorative objects kept in the homes of Meaux. Presented along the route, they create a dialogue between personal memory and collective heritage. Proof that a monument also belongs to those who live at its base.

BOSSUET MUSEUM - EPISCOPAL CITY
Until December 6, 2026
5 Place Charles-de-Gaulle, 77100 Meaux
Open daily 10:00 AM–12:30 PM and 2:00 PM–6:00 PM - Closed Tuesdays
Admission: €5 - Reduced rate: €4 - Free for children under 8