Sint Salvators Cathedral, the oldest parish church of Bruges has survived the onslaugh of ages without damage. The cathedral is situated in the middle of the main shopping street (Steenstraat) at the very center of Bruges.
Nevertheless it has undergone some changes and renovations since the church was not originally built to be a cathedral.
In 1834, shortly after Belgium's independence, a new bishop was installed in Bruges and the Sint-Salvators church obtained the status of cathedral.
In 1839 the roof of the cathedral collapsed in a fire. An English architect, Robert Chantrell, was asked to restore Sint-Salvators to its former glory and at the same time he was authorized to build a higher tower.
So the mighty tower is build on a 12th century base, the oldest surviving part of a common parish church.
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