Back كاتدرائية شارتر Arabic كاتدرائيه شارتر ARZ Catedral de Chartres AST Шартрскі сабор Byelorussian Шартраўская катэдра BE-X-OLD Нотр Дам дьо Шартър Bulgarian Catedral de Chartres Catalan Katedrála Notre-Dame (Chartres) Czech Eglwys Gadeiriol Chartres Welsh Domkirken i Chartres Danish

Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
Chartres Cathedral
Religion
AffiliationCatholic Church
ProvinceDiocese of Chartres
RiteRoman
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusCathedral
StatusActive
Location
Location16 Cloître Notre Dame, 28000 Chartres, France
Chartres Cathedral is located in France
Chartres Cathedral
Shown within France
Geographic coordinates48°26′50″N 1°29′16″E / 48.44722°N 1.48778°E / 48.44722; 1.48778
Architecture
TypeChurch
StyleFrench Gothic, Romanesque, High Gothic
Groundbreaking1126 (Romanesque)
1194 (Gothic)
Completed1252
Website
cathedrale-chartres.org
Towers
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iv
Reference81
Inscription1979 (3rd Session)
Official namecathédrale Notre-Dame, Chartres
Designated1862[1]
Reference no.IA28000005

Chartres Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220, it stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic[2] and Classic Gothic architecture,[3][4][5] It stands on Romanesque basements, while its north spire is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate Flamboyant style.[6]

Long renowned as "one of the most beautiful and historically significant cathedrals in all of Europe,"[7] it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, which called it "the high point of French Gothic art" and a "masterpiece".[8]

The cathedral is well-preserved and well-restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and a 113-metre (377 ft) early 16th-century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower. Equally notable are the three great façades, each adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.

Since at least the 12th century the cathedral has been an important destination for travellers. It attracts large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of whom come to venerate its famous relic, the Sancta Camisa, said to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ's birth, as well as large numbers of secular tourists who come to admire the cathedral's architecture and art. A venerated Black Madonna enshrined within was crowned by Pope Pius IX on 31 May 1855.

  1. ^ "Mérimée database". French government. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  2. ^ "The High Gothic years (c. 1250–1300), "Encyclopaedia Britannica" on-line edition, retrieved May 12,
  3. ^ "L'art gothique à la conquête de l'Europe". www.lhistoire.fr.
  4. ^ Wilfried Koch, Baustilkunde, 33rd edition 2016, p. 170:
    • Chartres, 2. H. 12. Jh. bis 1260, am Ende der Frühgotik. Sein 3-zoniger Wandaufbau (Arkade – Triforium – Obergaden) setzt sich ich der Hochgotik allgemein durch. Erhöhung der Arkade und (geringer:) der Fenster.
    • 4-teiliges Rippengewölbe …
    (Transalation:)
    • Chartres, 2nd half of C XII until 1260, in the end of Early Gothic. Its elevation of three levels (arcades – triforium – clerestory) became generally accepted/applied in High Gothic. Enhancement of the arcades and (less) of the windows.
    • 4 area rib vaults …
  5. ^ "Chartres Cathedral | History, Interior, Stained Glass, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 25 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Encyclopaedia Britannica" "Chartres Cathedral"
  7. ^ Hassner, Ron E. (2016). Religion on the Battlefield. Cornell University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-1501703683. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Chartres Cathedral". UNESCO World Heritage Center. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 3 October 2021.

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