Gothic Cathedral Chartres Rises Majestically Above the Beauce Plain

Chartres Cathedral is a short 1 1/4 hour journey from Paris. That’s quick enough for a Paris day trip. However, with so much to see you might decide to allow more than just a day.

France lays claim to over 80 cathedrals. The construction occurred between 1050 and 1350, including Chartres. In addition to the 80 cathedrals, 500 large churches and several thousand smaller churches were constructed during the same period. Only Chartres Cathedral survived in its thirteenth century form.

Gothic Cathedrals represent some of the finest works of medieval art. How do they compare to the Romanesque architecture? Gothic cathedrals are soaring edifices filled with light. We can thank Eugène Viollet le Duc, a nineteenth century architect , for restoring a preserving  many of these cathedrals.

Chartres Cathedral Exterior Views

The north transept (c. 1230) of the Cathedral has triple portals. Its statuary represents the Old Testament. The statuary includes Isaiah, Jeremiah, Simeon, John the Baptist, St Peter, Elijah and Elisha. At the time of construction, this type of statuary was “cutting edge” in architectural style. These statues form part of the architecture. Thus, they cannot be removed.

The south transept (c. 1224-1250) – represents the New Testament. It centers on the Last Judgement.

Chartres Cathedral Port Royal

 

 

The west side faces the square. It is the Royal Portal. The recesses contain statuary of kings and queens from the Old Testament.

Inside Chartres Cathedral

In the ninth century, Charlemagne’s grandson donated the Sancta Camisia to Chartres.  Historic belief relates that the Virgin wore this relic when she gave birth to Christ. As a result of having this relic, Chartres is known as the chief sanctuary of the Virgin in western Europe.

 

Above: the statue of Notre Dame de Pilar known as the Black Madonna.

Chartres Choir Screen and Rose Window

The choir screen dates from the 16th century . It contains carvings depicting the life of Christ and of the Virgin Mary.

 

 

One hundred fifty-two stained glass windows adorn this Cathedral. The south Rose window represents just one of them. Moreover, the beautiful windows of this gothic cathedral represent some of the best artistic talent of the Middle Ages.

Sundial

 

The original sundial is displayed in the  crypt where it is protected from the elements. To this end, a reproduction now adorns the exterior of the cathedral.

Other cathedrals in northern France reflect the impact of Chartres cathedral.  Because of this, I highly recommend visiting  Reims , Amiens, or Beauvais . These churches display more intricate and even lacy forms found in Gothic architecture.

---

<< Back to Chartres