Sens

Sens stands on the Yonne and was the seat of an archbishop whose authority once extended over a broad part of northern France. Its cathedral of Saint-Étienne was among the earliest great Gothic churches, introducing architectural forms that spread beyond the kingdom. In 1174 its architect William of Sens was called to help rebuild the choir of Canterbury Cathedral after a fire.

The Wars of Religion brought violence to the city. In April 1562 Catholics massacred members of the Protestant community at Sens, amid the first French war of religion. The archdiocese later lost part of its extensive jurisdiction when Paris became a metropolitan see in 1622 and several dioceses previously subject to Sens were assigned to it. The cathedral remained the centre of the archbishop's city.