The cathedral was built on the site of previous churches, including a Carolingian church that was consecrated in the presence of Emperor Charlemagne in 800, and a Romanesque church. The current building is one of the oldest Gothic structures in the country; only the cathedrals of Saint-Denis and Noyon are older. Notre-Dame of Paris is slightly younger. The cathedral was built between 1155 and 1235. In the 14th century, 27 chapels were added between the buttresses; in the 16th and 17th centuries they were more separated by walls. In the same century, the facade of the southern arm of the transept was also modified by adding two portals with frontals and a high window.[1] In 1772 the central portal was raised to allow for larger processional canopies. A major restoration was started in 1853; the work lasted until 1914, partly due to damage from an explosion in 1870.
The portals of the west facade
The church has three facades with portals, not only a monumental west facade as usual, but also facades on the north and south sides. One of the original seven towers was also demolished during the French Revolution. Another tower was lost in a lightning strike in the 18th century. Two remain on the front facade, one each at the side walls and a fifth at the intersection of nave and transept. The highest is the southern Tour de l'Horloge (60.5 m). With its large number of towers, the cathedral is still in the Romanesque tradition (compare Tournai).
The early Gothic cathedral of Laon probably had a major influence on the development of Gothic architecture in France and beyond