A little history of Saint-Gatien cathedral in Tours
And also
The tops
The first building is veryyyy old! In the 3th century, we found here an oratory raised by saint Lidoire, burnt in the 6th century. Saint Grégoire immediately rebuilt it.
This church resisted until the 12th century: at that time, Hildebert de Lavardin decided a reconstruction.
But king of France Louis VII and Henri II Plantagenet, king of England and count of Touraine, made war, a war that damaged the cathedral.
The next church is the current one, raised in 1170!
King saint Louis gave a quarry in Cheillé and "two acres in the Chinon forest" for the framework, in 1241.
Blanche of Castile (saint Louis' mother) also gave and so did Charles V...
Ok, Ok... Kings gave things and money, but the building site was only completed in 1547!
At the end of it, they built the two bell-towers, in 1507 and 1534: Henri IV said about them "Those are two jewels, we just need now the casket"!