The cathedral of the year 1000

Notre-Dame de la Basse-Œuvre, as opposed to the Gothic cathedral, the "Haute Œuvre", is the first known cathedral in Beauvais.

Built around the year 1000, the Basse-Œuvre is the earliest known cathedral. It is highly probable that an earlier building existed, but no trace of it has been found. The Basse-Œuvre is an exceptional example of Carolingian architecture. Few buildings from this period have survived in Northern France. Its size places it among the great churches of its era.

When the Bishop of Beauvais decided to build a new cathedral in 1225, the Basse-Œuvre was gradually dismantled to keep pace with the Gothic edifice. It was never completely dismantled, as the Gothic cathedral was never completed.

Today, only a third of the nave remains, the transept and choir having been destroyed in the Middle Ages. Had the Haute-Œuvre been completed, the original cathedral would have disappeared entirely, depriving us of this unique example of two cathedrals standing side by side.