Tournai Cathedral was built on older foundations from the 12th century, and the diocese had been centered at Tournai since the late 6th century. The nave dates mostly to the first third of the 12th century and is Romanesque. The transept arms, from about the middle of the century, are transitional. The Gothic choir was built from 1242 to 1255. The vaulting over the nave is 18th-century.
Five bell towers cluster at the transept, and the square towers flanking its arms reach 272 feet (83 m). The cathedral is 440 feet (134 m) long and 200 feet (60 m) wide, and its nave is 66 feet (20 m) wide. It is built of local blue-gray stone.
A severe tornado struck on August 14, 1999, and revealed structural problems. Repairs and archaeological work followed, and the Brunin Tower was stabilized in 2003. The cathedral has been a Walloon major heritage site since 1936, and UNESCO listed it in 2000.
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