Notre-Dame de Chartres

Chartres Cathedral, also called Notre-Dame d’Chartres or the Cathedral of

Notre-Dame, Gothic cathedral located in the town of Chartres,
northwestern France. Generally ranked as one of the three chief examples
of Gothic French architecture (along with Amiens Cathedral and Reims Cathedral),
it is noted not only for its architectural innovations but also for its numerous
sculptures and its much-celebrated stained glass. The cathedral’s association with
the Virgin Mary (the supposed veil of the Virgin is kept in the cathedral treasury)
made it the destination of pilgrims in the Middle Ages.

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Chartres CathedralChartres Cathedral, France.Top Photo Group/Thinkstock

Chartres CathedralEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The oldest parts of the cathedral are its crypt and the west portal, or Royal Portal,
which are remnants of a Romanesque church that was mostly destroyed by fire in
1194. The present cathedral was constructed on the foundations of the earlier
church and consecrated in 1260. It is built of limestone and stands some 112 feet
(34 metres) high and is 427 feet (130 metres) long. In many ways, the cathedral’s
design resembles those of its contemporaries, especially Laon Cathedral, but it
displays innovations with its tall arcades, unusually narrow triforium, and
huge clerestory—the massive weight of which required using flying buttresses in
an unprecedented manner.
 Chartres CathedralInterior of Chartres Cathedral, France.© dimoto/Fotolia

The cathedral contains an immense amount of sculpture, particularly figure

sculpture, ranging from large column statues to miniatures. As the purpose of the
sculptures was to preach and instruct, they mainly depict scenes and figures from
the Old and New Testaments.
 Chartres CathedralCarved stone figures on the facade of Chartres Cathedral, France.© PackShot/Fotolia
Chartres Cathedral contains 176 stained-glass windows, the feature for which it
may be best known. Like the sculpture, the stained glass was intended to be
educational. The five windows of the choir hemicycle (a semicircular arrangement)
relate in various ways to the Virgin Mary. The rose window in the north transept
portrays figures from the Old Testament. The south transept, which is
representative of the New Testament, has a rose window depicting the Apocalypse.
 Chartres Cathedral: “Beautiful Window”The so-called “Beautiful Window,” stained glass depicting the
Virgin Mary on her throne, Chartres Cathedral, France.© jy cessay/Fotolia
Several alterations have been made to the cathedral. The northwest tower’s
distinctive spire, for example, was added in the early 1500s. Chartres emerged with
relatively little damage from the political and religious upheavals of the 16th
century and sustained less damage than most cathedrals during the French
Revolution (1787–99). After a fire damaged the roof in 1836, a series of
restorations were carried out during the 19th century. In 1979 Chartres Cathedral
was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the late 20th century
preservation efforts concentrated on protecting the cathedral’s stained glass from air
pollution damage.