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Primary sourceArtifactfounded 597

Canterbury Cathedral

founded 597

The cathedral church where Becket served as archbishop and was murdered in 1170, later rebuilt to house his shrine.

The site of Becket's archbishopric and his murder, later transformed to house his shrine and welcome pilgrims.

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Exterior view of Canterbury Cathedral under a clear blue sky. A tall Gothic central tower with pinnacles rises above the stone nave and side chapels, with large pointed windows and a sloping roof visible. Grass lies in the foreground.
Canterbury Cathedral, founded 597, Canterbury, England.

About this source

What it is

Canterbury Cathedral, founded in 597 and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, was rebuilt several times over the centuries, including a major rebuilding after a fire in 1174. It remains the cathedral of the Church of England's spiritual leader.

Why it matters

Thomas Becket served as Archbishop of Canterbury here from 1162 until his murder in the cathedral's north-west transept in 1170. After his death, the cathedral was enlarged to accommodate the great flow of pilgrims visiting his shrine, which stood in the Trinity Chapel until its destruction. The building's history is bound up with Becket's life, death, and the cult that grew around him across medieval Europe.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the cathedral was rebuilt and expanded after Becket's death?
  • What does the scale of pilgrimage to his shrine tell us about his impact?
  • What is missing from the cathedral today that once marked Becket's murder and burial?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Becket on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Document

Primary source

Constitutions of Clarendon

Henry II of England · 1164

A rectangular gilt copper reliquary casket with blue champlevé enamel, set with oval glass gems along its lid and four feet. Front panels show gilded figures in scenes, including a bishop-like figure at an altar with a chalice, and an upper scene of a tomb or bier with mourners.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Casket

c. 1180-1190

A large semicircular textile, likely a chasuble, displayed flat in a curved glass case mounted on a white wall. Its faded beige fabric has repeating circular medallions containing small figures and patterns, with a vertical band down the center. Lights run along the top of the case.Artifact

Secondary source

Fermo Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket

12th century

Display case in a museum showing a pale cream silk liturgical robe with gold-embroidered borders on a mannequin, a pair of cream shoes, two long red-edged gold-patterned embroidered bands (stoles or orphreys), and a dark purple garment with gold trim at right.Artifact

Secondary source

Becket Liturgical Garments, Sens Cathedral

12th century

Title page of a 1969 Slatkine Reprints edition of La Vie de Saint Thomas le Martyr, Archevêque de Canterbury, by Garnier de Pont Sainte Maxence, edited by C. Hippeau, part of the Collection des Poètes Français du Moyen Âge. Includes a small book-and-torch vignette and the publisher Genève 1969.Book

Secondary source

Vie de saint Thomas

Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence · c. 1174

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