The cathedral influenced churches in Tournai and the Escaut Valley, giving birth to Scaldian art. Visitors are impressed by its huge size and the massive outlines of its towers. The nave and transept date from the 12C. The slender 13C Gothic chancel is taller than the nave and almost as long. Its lightness contrasts with the slightly austere sturdiness of the nave. The treasury boasts many works of art.