Chartres Cathedral

 

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (Chartres Cathedral) sits proudly on the highest point of the city and draws tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. They come to view this 12th century cathedral, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its splendid Gothic architecture and world renowned stained-glass windows.  It also has a religious allure that is felt by most visitors, even non religious ones. It has been a place for Catholic pilgrims for centuries as it houses what they believe to be the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 'Sancta Camisia'. The relic is said to have been given to the cathedral by Charlemagne (King of the Franks 768–814), who had brought it back from a trip to Jerusalem where it had been gifted to him.

The cathedral we see today is the last of a number of grand places of worship that have graced this site. The first 'cathedral'  burnt down in 1020 to be replaced by a Romanesque basilica. This building survived a fire in 1134 that destroyed a great deal of the city but was not so lucky when in 1194, when another fire apparently started by a lightning strike, destroyed all but the west towers, the facade and the crypt.

The 'Sancta Camisia' survived the fire and it was deemed a message from Mary that a new great cathedral should be built on the site. The new Chartres Cathedral was funded by donations from all over France and rebuilding began in the same year, 1194. It is said that the stone for the build was hauled from quarries 5 miles away by the people of Chartres themselves.

The completed cathedral was 'dedicated' in 1260 in the presence of King Louis IX and his family.

The cathedral also survived the Revolution unscathed and any restoration work has been done with the highest integrity giving us an unique unaltered piece of Gothic architecture preserved for posterity.

The most noticeable exterior feature of this great cathedral must surely be its mismatched towers, one is a 105m plain Romanesque pyramid tower dating from the 12^th century, while the other is  a 113m early 16^th -century Gothic spire atop an older original tower.

To view the exterior detail of the cathedral is like taking a walk through a Gothic art class - superb carvings so ornate that you have to stand in awe of the craftsmen who's labour created them. Remember we are talking over 750 years ago!

It is the stained-glass windows of the cathedral that draws many visitors to walk its aisles and having done it a few times ourselves we understand why...they are a joy to behold! You will be looking at one of the few near-complete sets of 13th century stained-glass windows in the world!   External links:   Good website https://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cathedral   Blogroll:   Good blogpost about the cathedral here

 

 

Directions and time to Chartres

 

To get directions and time to Chartres and see map, type in your post code or your starting point,  i.e.: 'Paris'