Established in sub-apostolic times, according to late local legends, the diocese, as metropolis of the province of Quarta Lugdunensis, achieved ecclesiastical metropolitical status in the 7th century.

The history of the religious beginnings of the church at Sens dates from Savinian and Potentian, and through legend to the Dioceses of Chartres, Troyes and Orléans.

[2] Gregory of Tours is silent regarding Savinian and Potentian, alleged founders of the See of Sens; the Hieronymian Martyrology, which was revised before 600 at Auxerre (or Autun), ignores them.

In the middle of the 10th century the relics of these two saints were hidden in a subterranean vault of the Abbey of St-Pierre le Vif to escape the pillage of the Hungarians, but in 1031 they were placed in a reliquary established by the monk Odoranne.

This monk (in a chronicle published about 1045) speaks of Altinus, Eodaldus, and Serotinus as apostolic companions of Savinian and Potentian, but does not view them as legitimate.

In a document which (according to Henri Bouvier) dates from the end of the sixth century or the beginning of the seventh—but according to Louis Duchesne, who labels the Gerbertine legend as written in 1046 and 1079 under the inspiration of Gerbert, Abbot of St-Pierre le Vif—is first described a legend tracing to Savinian and Potentian (and their companions) the evangelization of the churches of Orléans, Chartres and Troyes.

In the synod of Liptinae (diocese of Cambrai), held in May 743, Archbishop Boniface of Mainz, the papal legate in Germany, appointed three bishops: Grimo of Rouen, Abel of Reims, and Ardobert of Sens.

The priest Deneardus was appointed messenger to carry the report of the synod to Rome, and to request the pope to grant the pallium to each of the prelates.

In the meantime, something caused Boniface to change his mind about Abel and Ardobert, and he wrote to the pope, withdrawing his request for pallia for them.

[5] In 1009, Archbishop Leotheric held a provincial synod, in the presence of King Robert I of France, to address the abuses of the abbey of S. Benoît de Fleury, which claimed exemption from diocesan control.

[10] On 2 January 876, Pope John VIII granted Bishop Ansegisius of Sens the office of papal vicar per Gallias et Germanias.

[14] King Louis VI of France wrote to Pope Calixtus II (1119–1124), attempting to cajole him into releasing the province of Sens from subordination to the Primacy of Lyon.

[18] The diocese of Sens was richly endowed with fifteen collegiate churches, all of which were closed at the Revolution and had their properties and incomes confiscated for the benefit of the State.

[19] The collegiate church of Nôtre-Dame d'Étampes, founded by King Robert I of France (866–922–923), was headed by a Cantor and had ten canons.

Nôtre-Dame de Milly had four canons and was presided over by a Dean who was also the parish priest, who was presented for office to the archbishop by the local lord.

On 20 October 1622, Pope Gregory XV issued the bull "Universi Orbis," creating the metropolitan archdiocese of Paris, and assigning it four suffragan diocese which had belonged to Sens.

Cardinal Jean Bertrand (1557–1560) held the office of Garde des Sceaux, and died as ambassador in Venice without ever having made his entry into the diocese of Sens.

On 13 February 1790. it issued a decree which stated that the government would no longer recognize solemn religious vows taken by either men or women.

Members of either sex were free to leave their monasteries or convents if they wished, and could claim an appropriate pension by applying to the local municipal authority.

[40] The diocesan structure was then re-established by the papal bull "Qui Christi Domini" of 29 November 1801, but Sens was not one of the restored dioceses.

It was not until 6 October 1822 that a revised version of the papal bull, now called "Paternae Charitatis",[45] fortified by an ordonnance of Louis XVIII of 13 January 1823 ordering its registration, received the acceptance of all parties.

[48] By a royal ordonnance of 26 March 1823, King Louis XVIII authorized Archbishop de la Fare to establish a seminary.