The cathedral is in the Late Gothic style. Before becoming a cathedral, the building was a collegiate church dedicated to Saint Solenne. Construction began in the 12th century. However, except for traces in the crypt and in the base of the bell-tower, nothing is left of the original structure. Construction on the current facade and bell-tower was begun in 1544. The nave was destroyed in a 1678 storm, and the reconstruction in Gothic style took place between 1680 and 1700 under the direction of the architect Arnoult-Séraphin Poictevin (d. 1720). This project was begun at the instigation of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, whose wife was a native of Blois.