The first cathedral was built under St. Memmie, the first bishop of Châlons, built in the 4th century; she too was already to St. Dedicated to Stephen. Structurally, however, only the church that was built in the Romanesque style in the first half of the 12th century can be grasped. On October 26, 1147 it was founded by the Cistercian Pope Eugene III. († 1153), a student of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, inaugurated. In 1230 this church was destroyed by lightning and burned down; only the lower part of the north tower and parts of the crypt survived.
It was rebuilt a few years later, in the Gothic style, that is, with dematerialized wall surfaces in which large windows flooded the room with light; Châlons-en-Champagne Cathedral has several good examples of medieval stained glass. Towards the end of the 13th century the north portal on the left transept and the seven bays of the three naves were finished. The 14th century created the choir chapels and a rose window in the north transept, the 15th century continued to build on the nave (three bays). In 1520, Bishop Gilles of Luxembourg added a spike to the north tower. In the 17th century, two bays were added to the existing cathedral building in the west in a gothic style and thus aligned with it, and side chapels were built in the struts of the nave. The early classicism put 1628 to 1634 in front of the west facade; the architect was Claude Monnart. Their ornamental figures were destroyed by the revolution.
In 1668, lightning struck the late Gothic top of the five-story north tower; it fell down, smashing the roof and the vault, and also crushed the crypt under the sanctuary. Reconstruction began in the same year.
The 19th century was marked by large-scale renovation work. The vaults of the nave have been completely renovated and the side chapels of the 17th century have been removed. The front wall of the southern aisle was rebuilt. Blind arches and stained glass windows have been restored.
During World War I, bombs damaged the ambulatory and choir chapels in 1916 and 1918, and during World War II, bombs destroyed the roof and north aisle in 1940 and 1944.