The cathedral's predecessor, still in operation as a church, is dedicated to Saint Stephen (French: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne-de-la-Cité de Périgueux).

According to the "Vie de Saint Front", he lived in the fourth century, was ordained in Rome, and came to evangelize the Perigord.

Its vaulted choir housed the tomb of Saint Front, which was sculpted in 1077 by Guimaunond, a monk of the Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu.

This tomb was decorated with numerous precious stones and sculptures, notably an angel with a halo made of pieces of glass and is now kept in the Périgord Museum.

[5] Its five domes with turrets show a direct architectural relationship with oriental religious buildings, which served as inspiration for the architects of Saint-Front Cathedral.