Christianity came early to Verdun, with a first place of worship established in the 4th century. A cathedral has stood on the current site since the 5th century. After successive buildings were destroyed, Bishop Heimon had a new cathedral built around 990. The original layout is still visible today: two choirs, two transepts and four towers. It is considered to have inspired subsequent major Rhineland basilicas.
The building developed in response to changing religious needs and architectural styles. In the 12th century, the Romanesque eastern choir designed by the architect Garin was flanked by two portals. One of them, the Lion Portal, is visible from outside. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Gothic chapels were added in the aisles. Then, in the early 16th century, an elegant cloister was built in a flamboyant style, completing the site.
In 1755, the cathedral was severely damaged by a fire. The reconstruction adopted the simple lines of 18th century classicism. The nave and the two towers were redesigned and certain older elements disappeared behind new ones. The interior decor blended Baroque influences from Rome and the French Rococo style, visible for example in the sculpted choir stalls.
The cathedral was damaged by German shelling during the First World War and subsequently restored. In 1922, the work uncovered a crypt that had been blocked up since the 18th century. The sculptor Gaston Le Bourgeois decorated thirteen capitals with scenes depicting the lives of soldiers at the Battle of Verdun. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1906.