Difference between revisions of "Chartres Cathedral" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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The '''Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres''', ({{lang-fr|Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres}}), located in [[Chartres]], about 50 miles from [[Paris]], is considered one of the world's finest examples of the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style of [[architecture]]. Begun in the twelfth century, the cathedral established several new architectural features and pioneered new techniques for construction at high elevations above ground.  
 
The '''Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres''', ({{lang-fr|Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres}}), located in [[Chartres]], about 50 miles from [[Paris]], is considered one of the world's finest examples of the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style of [[architecture]]. Begun in the twelfth century, the cathedral established several new architectural features and pioneered new techniques for construction at high elevations above ground.  
  
During its early construction, the cathedral was burned down once, nearly consumed by fire a second time, and formed the focal point of several tax revolts and riots. The cathedral is still the seat of the [[Diocese of Chartres]], in the [[Roman Catholic]] [[List of Archbishops of Tours|ecclesiastical province of Tours]]. The cathedral was the center of Chartres' economy and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by [[civic]] buildings in towns today.
+
During its early construction, the cathedral was burned down once, nearly consumed by fire a second time, and formed the focal point of several tax revolts and riots. It was the center of Chartres' economy and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by [[civic]] buildings in towns today.The cathedral is still the seat of the [[Diocese of Chartres]], in the [[Roman Catholic]] [[List of Archbishops of Tours|ecclesiastical province of Tours]].
  
In 1979, [[UNESCO]] designated the Chartres Cathedral as a [[World Heritage Site]]. Its Heritage description reads: "Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave, in pure ogival style, the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the twelfth century, and the magnificent twelfth- and thirteenth-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece."  
+
In 1979, [[UNESCO]] designated the Chartres Cathedral as a [[World Heritage Site]]. Its Heritage description reads: "Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave... the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the twelfth century, and the magnificent twelfth- and thirteenth-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece."  
  
 
==History of the cathedral==
 
==History of the cathedral==
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===Pilgrimmage site===
 
===Pilgrimmage site===
The church was an especially popular pilgrimage destination in the twelfth century. There were four great fairs which coincided with the main feast days of the Virgin; the [[Purification]]; the [[Annunciation]]; the [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]]; and the [[Nativity]]. The fairs were held in the surrounding area of the cathedral were attended by many of the pilgrims in town for the feast days and to see the cloak of the Virgin. When [[ergotism]] (more popularly known in the Middle Ages as "St. Anthony's fire") afflicted many victims, the [[crypt]] of the original church became a hospital to care for the sick.
+
The church was an especially popular pilgrimage destination beginning in the twelfth century. There were four great fairs which coincided with the main feast days of the Virgin: the [[Purification]]; the [[Annunciation]]; the [[Assumption of Mary|Assumption]]; and the [[Nativity]]. The fairs were held in the surrounding area of the cathedral and were attended not only by the local population but by large numbers of pilgrims who had come to the town for the feast days and to see the cloak of the Virgin.
  
 
===Fire damage, rebuilding===
 
===Fire damage, rebuilding===
After the first cathedral of any great substance burnt down in 1020, the glorious new Romanesque basilica, which included a massive crypt, was built under the direction of [[Fulbert of Chartres|Bishop Fulbert]] and later under the direction of Geoffroy de Lèves. In 1134, the cathedral survived a fire which destroyed much of the rest of the town. Construction of a new building on the [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] foundations of the earlier church was begun in 1145 in a blaze of enthusiasm dubbed the [['Cult of the Carts.']] During this religious outburst a crowd of more than 1,000 penitents dragged carts filled with building provisions including stones, wood, grain, etc. to the site.
+
After an earlier wooden cathedral burnt down in 1020, the glorious new Romanesque basilica was built under the direction of [[Bishop Fulbert of Chartres]]. In 1134, the cathedral partly survived a fire which destroyed much of the rest of the town. Construction was renewed in 1145 amid great popular enthusiasm.
  
Disaster struck yet again in the night from June 10 to 11, 1194, when lightning created a blaze that left only the west towers, the façade between them, and the crypt. The people of Chartres despaired when they believed that their sacred relic, the ''Sancta Camisia'', had perished, too. But three days later, it was found unharmed in the treasury along with the priests who had taken it there for safe keeping when the fire broke out, locking themselves in behind the iron trapdoors. The visiting Cardinal Melior of Pisa, a papal legate, told the people that the survival of the relic was a sign from Mary herself and that another, even more magnificent cathedral should be built in Chartres.
+
Disaster struck yet again in the night from June 10 to 11, 1194, when lightning created a blaze that left only the west towers, the facade between them, and the crypt. The people of Chartres despaired when they believed that the ''Sancta Camisia'' had perished, too. Three days later, it was found unharmed in the treasury, along with the priests who had taken it there for safe keeping when the fire broke out, locking themselves in behind the iron trapdoors. The visiting [[papal legate]], Cardinal Melior of Pisa, told the people that the survival of the relic was a sign from Mary herself and that another, even more magnificent cathedral should be built in Chartres.
  
The body of the cathedral—over a ground area of 117,058 square feet—was rebuilt between 1194 and 1220, a remarkably short span for medieval cathedrals. The rebuilding, with the help of donations from all over France, began almost immediately, using the plans laid out by the first architect, still anonymous, in order to preserve the harmonious aspect of the Cathedral. The enthusiasm for the project was such that the people of the city voluntarily gathered to haul the stone needed from local quarries five miles away.
+
The body of the final cathedral—over a ground area of 117,058 square feet—was rebuilt between 1194 and 1220, a remarkably short span for medieval cathedrals. The rebuilding, with the help of donations from all over France, began almost immediately, using the plans laid out by the original architect, who remains anonymous.
 
[[Image:Figures from Cathedral of Chartres.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Figures from the Cathedral of Chartres]]
 
[[Image:Figures from Cathedral of Chartres.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Figures from the Cathedral of Chartres]]
  
Work began first on the nave, with the old crypt, along with the mid-twelfth-century Royal Portal which had also escaped the fire, incorporated into the new building. On October 24, 1260, the cathedral was finally dedicated in the presence of [[Louis IX of France|King Louis IX]]. However, the cathedral was never completed with the full set of spires that appear to have been planned for it in the early [[thirteenth century]].
+
On October 24, 1260, the cathedral was finally dedicated in the presence of [[Louis IX of France|King Louis IX]]. However, the cathedral was never completed with the full set of spires that appear to have been planned for it in the early [[thirteenth century]].
  
===Target of Revolution===
+
===Target of revolution===
The building histories of urban cathedrals often extended over decades and sometimes over centuries. Tne financing of such expensive construction projects depended largely on collections and public contributions (not always voluntary), and a lack of funds often interrupted building programs. Unforeseen events, such as [[wars]], [[famines]], [[plagues]], or friction between the town and the cathedral authorities would stop construction, which then might not resume for years. The rebuilding of Chartres Cathedral after 1194 took a relatively short 26 years, but at one point the townspeople revolted against the prospect of a heavier [[tax]] burden.  They stormed the [[bishop]]'s residence and drove him into exile for four years.
+
The rebuilding of Chartres Cathedral after 1194 took a relatively short 26 years, but at one point the townspeople revolted against the prospect of a heavier [[tax]] burden to finance the project.  They stormed the [[bishop]]'s residence and drove him into exile for four years.
  
The cathedral was damaged during the [[French Revolution]] when a mob began to destroy the sculpture on the north porch. This is one of the few occasions on which the anti-religious fervor was stopped by the townfolk. The Revolutionary Committee decided to blow the building up and asked a local master [[mason]] ([[architect]]) to organize it. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. However, when metal was needed for the army the brass plaque in the center of the [[labyrinth]] was removed and melted down—our only record of what was on the plaque was Felibien's description.
+
The cathedral was damaged during the [[French Revolution]] when a mob began to destroy the sculpture on the north porch. The Revolutionary Committee decided to blow the building up and asked a local master [[mason]] ([[architect]]) to organize it. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. This is one of the few occasions during the Revolution when the anti-religious fervor was stopped by the town-folk. However, when metal was needed for the large army the brass plaque in the center of the [[labyrinth]] was removed and melted down.
  
 
==Description==
 
==Description==
Chartres is truly one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals. From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer that the city comes into view, clustering around the hill on which the cathedral stands. Its two contrasting spires — one, a 349-foot plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other a 377-foot-tall, early sixteenth century flamboyant spire on top of an older tower — soar upwards over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are complex [[flying buttress]]es.
+
Chartres is truly one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals. From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer that the city comes into view, clustering around the hill on which the cathedral stands. Its two contrasting spiresone, a 349-foot plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other a 377-foot-tall flamboyant spire from early sixteenth centurysoar upward over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are complex [[flying buttress]]es.
  
 
===Interior plan===
 
===Interior plan===
The plan is cruciform, with a 92-foot-long [[nave]], and short transepts to the south and north. The east end is rounded with an ambulatory that has five semi-circular [[chapel]]s radiating from it. The cathedral extensively used flying buttresses in its original plan, and these supported the weight of the extremely high [[Vault (architecture)|vaults]], at the time of being built, the highest in France. The new High Gothic cathedral at Chartres used four ribbed vaults in a rectangular space, instead of six in a square pattern, as in earlier Gothic cathedrals such as at [[Notre-Dame of Laon|Laon]]. The skeletal system of supports, from the compound piers all the way up to the springing and transverse and diagonal ribs, allowed large spaces of the cathedral to be free for stained-glass work, as well as a towering height.
+
The plan is cruciform, with a 92-foot-long [[nave]] and short transepts to the south and north. The east end is rounded, with five semi-circular [[chapel]]s radiating from it. The use of flying buttresses enabled the support of extremely high [[Vault (architecture)|vaults]], the highest in France at the time of construction. The cathedral used four ribbed vaults in a rectangular space, instead of six in a square pattern, as in earlier Gothic cathedrals such as at [[Notre-Dame of Laon|Laon]]. The skeletal system of supports, from the compound piers all the way up to the springing and transverse and diagonal ribs, allowed large spaces of the cathedral to be free for stained-glass work, as well as a towering height.
  
 
The spacious nave stands 118 feet high, and there is an unbroken view from the western end right along to the magnificent dome of the [[apse]] in the east. Clustered columns rise dramatically from plain bases to the high-pointed arches of the ceiling, directing the eye to the massive clerestory windows in the apse.
 
The spacious nave stands 118 feet high, and there is an unbroken view from the western end right along to the magnificent dome of the [[apse]] in the east. Clustered columns rise dramatically from plain bases to the high-pointed arches of the ceiling, directing the eye to the massive clerestory windows in the apse.
  
 
[[Image:Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral.JPG|thumb|200px|Walking the famous [[labyrinth]] within the Chartres Cathedral.]]
 
[[Image:Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral.JPG|thumb|200px|Walking the famous [[labyrinth]] within the Chartres Cathedral.]]
Everywhere vivid color splashes on to the floor from the superb [[stained glass window]]s. Dating from the early thirteenth century, the glass largely escaped harm during the [[French Wars of Religion|religious wars]] of the sixteenth century; it is said to constitute one of the most complete collections of medieval stained-glass in the world, despite "modernization" in 1753, when some of it was removed by well-intentioned but misguided clergy. From the original 186 stained-glass windows, 152 have survived. The stained-glass windows are particularly renowned for their vivid blue color, especially in a representation of the Madonna and Child known as the Blue Virgin Window. The windows also present the first European [[wheelbarrow]].  
+
Everywhere vivid color splashes on to the floor from the superb [[stained glass window]]s. Dating from the early thirteenth century, the glass largely escaped harm during the [[French Wars of Religion|religious wars]] of the sixteenth century; it is said to constitute one of the most complete collections of medieval stained-glass in the world, despite modernization in 1753, when some of it was removed. Of the original 186 stained-glass windows, 152 have survived. The windows are particularly renowned for their vivid blue color, especially in a representation of the ''Madonna and Child'' known as the Blue Virgin Window.
  
 
===Knights Templar legend===
 
===Knights Templar legend===
On the exterior of Chartres Cathedral, by the north door, there is a carving on a pillar, which alludes to an object sought by the Knights Templars when, in 1118, they undertook excavations beneath the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem and made an important discovery. An ancient tradition maintains that the Ark of the Covenant had been secreted deep beneath Solomon's Temple centuries before the fall of the city to the Romans. Hugh de Payen, one of the original nine Templar Knights, was chosen by Pope Urban II to lead an expedition to locate the Ark and bring it to Europe. Persistent legends recount that Hugh de Payen, having found the ark, deposited it for safekeeping in the crypt of Chartres Cathedral, where it remained for centuries. The carving on the pillar at Chartres is supposed to represent the Ark of the Covenant being transported on some type of wheeled vehicle, a cart or, possibly, a wheelbarrow.  
+
On the exterior of Chartres Cathedral, by the north door, there is a carving on a pillar which alludes to an object sought by the [[Knights Templar]] when, in 1118, they undertook excavations beneath the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] and supposedly made an important discovery. An ancient tradition maintains that the [[Ark of the Covenant]] had been secreted deep beneath Solomon's Temple centuries before the fall of the city to the Romans. Persistent legends recount the ark was deposited for safekeeping in the crypt of Chartres, where it remained for centuries. The carving on the pillar is supposed to represent the Ark of the Covenant being transported on some type of wheeled vehicle, a cart or, possibly, a wheelbarrow.  
  
 
===Stained glass, carvings, statues===
 
===Stained glass, carvings, statues===
During the second World War, most of the stained glass was removed from the cathedral, and stored in the surrounding countryside, for protection from German bombers. At the close of the war, the windows were taken out of hiding and replaced.
 
 
[[Image:Camile_Corot_Chartres.jpg|thumb|200px|left|''Chartres Cathedral'', oil painting by [[Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot]], [[Louvre]].]]
 
[[Image:Camile_Corot_Chartres.jpg|thumb|200px|left|''Chartres Cathedral'', oil painting by [[Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot]], [[Louvre]].]]
  
Line 73: Line 72:
 
On the doors and porches medieval carvings of statues holding swords, crosses, books, and trade tools parade around the portals, their expressions as clear today as when first carved 700 years ago. The [[sculptures]] on the west façade depict [[Christ]]'s ascension into heaven, episodes from his life, saints, apostles, Christ in the lap of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]], and other religious scenes. Below the religious figures are statues of kings and queens, which is the reason why this entrance is known as the 'royal' portal.
 
On the doors and porches medieval carvings of statues holding swords, crosses, books, and trade tools parade around the portals, their expressions as clear today as when first carved 700 years ago. The [[sculptures]] on the west façade depict [[Christ]]'s ascension into heaven, episodes from his life, saints, apostles, Christ in the lap of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]], and other religious scenes. Below the religious figures are statues of kings and queens, which is the reason why this entrance is known as the 'royal' portal.
  
While these figures are based on figures from the [[Old Testament]], they were also regarded as images of current kings and queens when they were constructed. The symbolism of showing royalty displayed slightly lower than the religious sculptures, but still very close, implies the relationship between the kings and God. It is a way of displaying the authority of royalty, showing them so close to figures of Christ, it gives the impression they have been ordained and put in place by God. Sculptures of the [[Seven Liberal Arts]] appeared in the [[archivolt]] of the right bay of the Royal Portal, which represented the school at Chartres.
+
While these figures are based on figures from the [[Old Testament]], they were also regarded as images of current kings and queens when they were constructed. The symbolism of showing royalty displayed slightly lower than the religious sculptures, but still very close, implies the relationship between the kings and God. Sculptures of the [[Seven Liberal Arts]] appeared in the [[archivolt]] of the right bay of the Royal Portal, which represented the school at Chartres.
 
[[Image:ChartresSouthDehioVonBezold.jpg|thumb|305px|South elevation.]]
 
[[Image:ChartresSouthDehioVonBezold.jpg|thumb|305px|South elevation.]]
The Cathedral of Chartres was not destroyed nor looted during the [[French Revolution]] and the numerous restorations have not altered its glorious beauty. It always stayed the same: a triumph of [[Gothic art]]. The cathedral was added to [[UNESCO]]'s list of [[World Heritage Sites]] in 1979.
+
 
 +
During the second World War, most of the stained glass was removed from the cathedral and stored in the surrounding countryside, for protection from German bombers. At the close of the war, the windows were taken out of hiding and replaced.
  
 
===Cathedral school===
 
===Cathedral school===
In the Middle Ages the cathedral also functioned as an important [[cathedral school]]. Charlemagne wanted a system of education for the French people in the ninth century, and since it was difficult and costly for new schools to be built, it was easier to use already existing infrastructure. So he ordered that both cathedrals and [[monasteries]] maintain schools. Cathedral schools eventually took over from monastic schools as the main places of education. In the eleventh century, the education system was controlled by the clergy in cathedrals such as Chartres. The cathedral itself symbolized the school. Many French cathedral schools had specialties, and Chartres was most renowned for the study of logic. The new logic taught in Chartres was regarded by many as being even ahead of Paris. One person who was educated at Chartres was [[John of Salisbury]], an English philosopher and writer, who had his classical training there.
+
In the Middle Ages the cathedral also functioned as an important school. Many French cathedral schools had specialties, and Chartres was most renowned for the study of logic. The logic course taught in Chartres was regarded by many as being superior even to the famous University of Paris. One person who was educated at Chartres was [[John of Salisbury]], an English philosopher and writer, who had his classical training there.
  
 
{{French commune|nomcommune=Chartres<br/>[[Image:Chartres 1987.jpg|300px]]<br/><small>Distant view of Chartres</small>
 
{{French commune|nomcommune=Chartres<br/>[[Image:Chartres 1987.jpg|300px]]<br/><small>Distant view of Chartres</small>

Revision as of 17:58, 14 September 2007


Chartres Cathedral*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Cathedral of Chartres
State Party Flag of France France
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Reference 81
Region** Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1979  (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.
Chartres floorplan
File:Chartres Cathedral 000.JPG
Chartres roofline and profile rises over the modern town.
File:ChartresWestEndDB407.jpg
West end of Chartres

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 50 miles from Paris, is considered one of the world's finest examples of the Gothic style of architecture. Begun in the twelfth century, the cathedral established several new architectural features and pioneered new techniques for construction at high elevations above ground.

During its early construction, the cathedral was burned down once, nearly consumed by fire a second time, and formed the focal point of several tax revolts and riots. It was the center of Chartres' economy and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by civic buildings in towns today.The cathedral is still the seat of the Diocese of Chartres, in the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical province of Tours.

In 1979, UNESCO designated the Chartres Cathedral as a World Heritage Site. Its Heritage description reads: "Chartres Cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. The vast nave... the porches adorned with fine sculptures from the middle of the twelfth century, and the magnificent twelfth- and thirteenth-century stained-glass windows, all in remarkable condition, combine to make it a masterpiece."

History of the cathedral

According to legend, since 876 the Cathedral's site has housed a tunic that has been said to have belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sancta Camisia. The relic had supposedly been given to the Cathedral by Charlemagne who received it as a gift during a crusade in Jerusalem. Historians believe the relic was actually a gift from Charles the Bald. The fabric is indeed very old and seems to have originated in an area consistent with the story of its having belonged to Mary, having been woven in Syria during the first century CE. For hundreds of years, Chartres has been a very important Marian pilgrimage center and today the faithful still come from the world over to honor the relic. As a consequence, several cathedrals have occupied the site. All of the earlier buildings, being of wooden construction, we destroyed by periodic uncontrolled fire which swept through the town.

Pilgrimmage site

The church was an especially popular pilgrimage destination beginning in the twelfth century. There were four great fairs which coincided with the main feast days of the Virgin: the Purification; the Annunciation; the Assumption; and the Nativity. The fairs were held in the surrounding area of the cathedral and were attended not only by the local population but by large numbers of pilgrims who had come to the town for the feast days and to see the cloak of the Virgin.

Fire damage, rebuilding

After an earlier wooden cathedral burnt down in 1020, the glorious new Romanesque basilica was built under the direction of Bishop Fulbert of Chartres. In 1134, the cathedral partly survived a fire which destroyed much of the rest of the town. Construction was renewed in 1145 amid great popular enthusiasm.

Disaster struck yet again in the night from June 10 to 11, 1194, when lightning created a blaze that left only the west towers, the facade between them, and the crypt. The people of Chartres despaired when they believed that the Sancta Camisia had perished, too. Three days later, it was found unharmed in the treasury, along with the priests who had taken it there for safe keeping when the fire broke out, locking themselves in behind the iron trapdoors. The visiting papal legate, Cardinal Melior of Pisa, told the people that the survival of the relic was a sign from Mary herself and that another, even more magnificent cathedral should be built in Chartres.

The body of the final cathedral—over a ground area of 117,058 square feet—was rebuilt between 1194 and 1220, a remarkably short span for medieval cathedrals. The rebuilding, with the help of donations from all over France, began almost immediately, using the plans laid out by the original architect, who remains anonymous.

File:Figures from Cathedral of Chartres.JPG
Figures from the Cathedral of Chartres

On October 24, 1260, the cathedral was finally dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX. However, the cathedral was never completed with the full set of spires that appear to have been planned for it in the early thirteenth century.

Target of revolution

The rebuilding of Chartres Cathedral after 1194 took a relatively short 26 years, but at one point the townspeople revolted against the prospect of a heavier tax burden to finance the project. They stormed the bishop's residence and drove him into exile for four years.

The cathedral was damaged during the French Revolution when a mob began to destroy the sculpture on the north porch. The Revolutionary Committee decided to blow the building up and asked a local master mason (architect) to organize it. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. This is one of the few occasions during the Revolution when the anti-religious fervor was stopped by the town-folk. However, when metal was needed for the large army the brass plaque in the center of the labyrinth was removed and melted down.

Description

Chartres is truly one of the greatest of all French Gothic cathedrals. From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer that the city comes into view, clustering around the hill on which the cathedral stands. Its two contrasting spires—one, a 349-foot plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other a 377-foot-tall flamboyant spire from early sixteenth century—soar upward over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are complex flying buttresses.

Interior plan

The plan is cruciform, with a 92-foot-long nave and short transepts to the south and north. The east end is rounded, with five semi-circular chapels radiating from it. The use of flying buttresses enabled the support of extremely high vaults, the highest in France at the time of construction. The cathedral used four ribbed vaults in a rectangular space, instead of six in a square pattern, as in earlier Gothic cathedrals such as at Laon. The skeletal system of supports, from the compound piers all the way up to the springing and transverse and diagonal ribs, allowed large spaces of the cathedral to be free for stained-glass work, as well as a towering height.

The spacious nave stands 118 feet high, and there is an unbroken view from the western end right along to the magnificent dome of the apse in the east. Clustered columns rise dramatically from plain bases to the high-pointed arches of the ceiling, directing the eye to the massive clerestory windows in the apse.

File:Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral.JPG
Walking the famous labyrinth within the Chartres Cathedral.

Everywhere vivid color splashes on to the floor from the superb stained glass windows. Dating from the early thirteenth century, the glass largely escaped harm during the religious wars of the sixteenth century; it is said to constitute one of the most complete collections of medieval stained-glass in the world, despite modernization in 1753, when some of it was removed. Of the original 186 stained-glass windows, 152 have survived. The windows are particularly renowned for their vivid blue color, especially in a representation of the Madonna and Child known as the Blue Virgin Window.

Knights Templar legend

On the exterior of Chartres Cathedral, by the north door, there is a carving on a pillar which alludes to an object sought by the Knights Templar when, in 1118, they undertook excavations beneath the Temple of Jerusalem and supposedly made an important discovery. An ancient tradition maintains that the Ark of the Covenant had been secreted deep beneath Solomon's Temple centuries before the fall of the city to the Romans. Persistent legends recount the ark was deposited for safekeeping in the crypt of Chartres, where it remained for centuries. The carving on the pillar is supposed to represent the Ark of the Covenant being transported on some type of wheeled vehicle, a cart or, possibly, a wheelbarrow.

Stained glass, carvings, statues

Several of the windows were donated by royalty, such as the rose window at the north transept, which was a gift from the French queen Blanche of Castile. The royal influence is shown in some of the long rectangular lancet windows which display the royal symbols of the yellow fleurs-de-lis on a blue background and also yellow castles on a red background. Windows were also donated from lords, locals, and tradespeople.

The cathedral has three large rose windows: one on the west front with a theme of The Last Judgment; one on the north transept with a theme of the Glorification of the Virgin; and one on the south transept with a theme of the Glorification of Christ.

File:France Chartres Cathedral Pride.jpg
Depiction of Pride on the left pillar of the central bay of the south porch of Chartres Cathedral

On the doors and porches medieval carvings of statues holding swords, crosses, books, and trade tools parade around the portals, their expressions as clear today as when first carved 700 years ago. The sculptures on the west façade depict Christ's ascension into heaven, episodes from his life, saints, apostles, Christ in the lap of Mary, and other religious scenes. Below the religious figures are statues of kings and queens, which is the reason why this entrance is known as the 'royal' portal.

While these figures are based on figures from the Old Testament, they were also regarded as images of current kings and queens when they were constructed. The symbolism of showing royalty displayed slightly lower than the religious sculptures, but still very close, implies the relationship between the kings and God. Sculptures of the Seven Liberal Arts appeared in the archivolt of the right bay of the Royal Portal, which represented the school at Chartres.

South elevation.

During the second World War, most of the stained glass was removed from the cathedral and stored in the surrounding countryside, for protection from German bombers. At the close of the war, the windows were taken out of hiding and replaced.

Cathedral school

In the Middle Ages the cathedral also functioned as an important school. Many French cathedral schools had specialties, and Chartres was most renowned for the study of logic. The logic course taught in Chartres was regarded by many as being superior even to the famous University of Paris. One person who was educated at Chartres was John of Salisbury, an English philosopher and writer, who had his classical training there.


Commune of Chartres
Chartres 1987.jpg
Distant view of Chartres
Location
Longitude 01° 29' 21" E
Latitude 48° 26' 50" N
Administration
Country Flag of France France
Region Centre
Department Eure-et-Loir
(préfecture)
Arrondissement Chartres
Canton Chief town of 3 cantons
Intercommunality Chartres Métropole
Mayor Jean-Pierre Gorges (UMP)
(2001-2008)
Statistics
Altitude 121 m–161 m
(avg. 142 m)
Land area¹ 16.85 km²
Population²
(1999)
40,361
 - Density (1999) 2,395/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code 28085/ 28000
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).
France

Town of Chartres

Geography

Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country. To the southeast stretches the fruitful plain of Beauce, the "granary of France," of which the town is the commercial center.

Other sights

The abbey church of St Pierre[1], dating chiefly from the thirteenth century, contains, besides some fine stained glass, 12 representations of the apostles in enamel, executed about 1547 by Léonard Limosin. Other noteworthy churches in Chartres are St Aignan (thirteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries) and St Martin-au-Val (twelfth century, for which the surrounding city financed the stained-glass windows.

Museums:

  • Musée des Beaux-Arts, fine arts museum (located near the Cathedral of Chartres) housed in the former Episcopal palace.
  • Le Grenier de l'Histoire Musée, history museum specializing in military uniforms and accoutrements.
  • Le Centre International du Vitrail, a workshop-museum and cultural center devoted to stained glass art.
  • Muséum de sciences naturelles et de la préhistoire, Natural Science and Prehistory Museum
  • Conservatoire du Machinisme et des Pratiques Agricoles, an agricultural museum.

The Eure River, which at this point divides into three branches, is crossed by several bridges, some of them ancient, and is fringed in places by remains of the old fortifications, of which the Porte Guillaume (fourteenth century), a gateway flanked by towers, is the most complete specimen. The steep, narrow streets of the old town contrast with the wide, shady boulevards which encircle it and divide it from the suburbs. The Cbs St. Jean, a pleasant park, lies to the northwest, and squares and open spaces are numerous.

The Hotel de Vville, a building of the seventeenth century, containing a museum and library, an older Hotel de Ville of the thirteenth century, and several medieval and Renaissance houses, are of interest. There is a statue of General F. S. Marceau-Desgraviers (b. 1769), a native of the town.

Pilgrimages

Chartres has been a site of Christian pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. The poet Charles Péguy (1873-1914) revived the pilgrimage route between Paris and Chartres before the First World War. After the war, some students carried on the pilgrimage in his memory. Since the 1980s, the association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté, with offices in Versailles, has organized the annual 62-mile pilgrimage on foot from the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris to the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Chartres. About 15,000 pilgrims, mostly young families from all over France, participate every year.

Gallery of Images

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Favier, Jean. The World of Chartres, Henry N. Abrams, 1990. ISBN 0-8109-1796-3
  • James, John. The Master Masons of Chartres, West Grinstead, 1990, ISBN 0646008056
  • James, John. The Contractors of Chartres, Wyong, ii vols. 1979-1981, ISBN 0959600523
  • Markale, Jean. Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres, Inner Traditions, 2004. ISBN 978-1594770204
  • Miller, Malcolm. Chartres Cathedral, Riverside Book Company, 1997. ISBN 978-1878351548
  • Strachan, Gordon, & Perceval, Oliver. Chartres: Sacred Geometry, Sacred Space, Floris Books, 2003. ISBN 978-0863153912

External links

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