Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France, 1193

To the modern tourist and historian, the Cathedral of Chartres is the monument most representative of the Gothic style. It is the only French cathedral to have survived in nearly complete form from the early 13^th century, with sculptures decorating every portal, a full array of stained glass giving the interior a deep, vibrant color, and architecture that is surprisingly uniform for a medieval church.1

Cathedral of Chartres as viewed from a distance, located in Chartres, France.

The Chartres Cathedral was built following a fire that largely destroyed the previous church in 1194. It represents a true exemplar of the Gothic cathedral, characterized by a longitudinal body with a nave and two aisles, and an elevation on three levels – a high arcade, low triforium passage and clerestory windows expanded as to equal the arcade in height – crossed by a short transept and ending in a deep presbytery with ambulatory and five semi-circular chapels.

Plan of the Chartres Cathedral.

In regards to the general exterior, the high nave is supported by double flying buttresses, secured by colonnettes and another set of buttresses. An extra row of single flying buttresses support the apse, and a third row of buttresses was added in the 14^th century. In fact, Chartres was the first building onto which buttresses were used as a structural element that determined the external appearance of the building.2 They were required due to the unprecedented size of the clerestory windows and the height of the nave. The only aspect distracting from Chartres Cathedral’s exterior elegant symmetry are the mismatched west spires on the western façade. The south spire is a 349-foot plain Romanesque pyramid dating from the 1140s, while the north is a 377ft early 16^th-century Flamboyant Gothic spire on top of an older tower.2 The cathedral also has nine portals in total; however, the 3-portal layout decorated in sculpture is unique to Chartres.

West Spires showing the asymmetrical spires.

Three-portal layout unique to the Chartres Cathedral.

The beauty of the exterior does not prepare the visitor for the remarkable splendor within the cathedral. As the visitor enters, you approach the spacious and widest nave in all the cathedrals in France, measuring 52 feet wide and 121 feet tall. In its center is a labyrinth, the only one still intact in France, with 320 yards of winding passages, once used by the faithful to follow on their knees.3 Beyond the labyrinth is an unobstructed view of the incredible apse in the east, about 430-feet away. Columns rise dramatically from the sides, directing the eye to the massive clerestory windows in the apse and up to the high pointed arches of the ceiling.

Widest nave amongst the cathedrals in France with the only intact labyrinth in France.

At the east end, the ambulatory surrounds the choir and sanctuary, dramatically vaulted and divided from the latter. On the south side, a striking astrological clock dating back to the 16^th century emerges. This clock would tell the time of the day, the day of the week, the month of the year, the time of sunrise and sunset, and the phase of the moon. However, its inner works were somewhat destroyed in 1793;2 could it be due to the contradiction of having a clock that has signs of the zodiac in a catholic church?  

Astrological clock located on the south end of the Chartres Cathedral.

Nevertheless, the chapter of Chartres took its obligations to the Virgin Mary very serious. In fact, the cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary: her Nativity, Annunciation, Purification and Assumption.4 This was decided because of the cathedral’s claim to hold the tunic Mary wore when giving birth to Christ. They claim the tunic survived the great fire of 1194. Many of the stained-glass windows of the church are devoted to the Virgin Mary depicting the Nativity, the Annunciation and other miraculous moments. These incredible amounts of stained-glass windows, allowing no direct light to enter the building, bathe the church with a colorful array of light offering a celestial experience, essential to the Gothic experience.  

Stain-glass window depicting the Annunciation.

Light entering the cathedral through the stain-glass windows, forming a colorful experience.

The contrast and irregularity of Chartres well expresses the dynamic energy of the creators of the Gothic style. Since the beginning of its construction, the church is almost perfectly preserved in its original design and details, making it the only cathedral that conveys an almost perfect image of how it looked when it was built. It reflects not only the realization on earth of the Celestial City as described in the Revelations of St. John the Divine, but is a symbol of the religious faith and commercial prosperity.4 

                           

1 Branner, Robert. Chartres Cathedral: Illustrations, Introductory Essay, Documents, Analysis, Criticism. New York: Norton, 1969. 69-87. Print.

2 "Chartres Cathedral." Sacred Destinations. Sacred Destinations, n.d. Web.

3 "Chartres Cathedral." Chartres Cathedral. Chartres Cathedral, n.d. Web.

4 Watkin, David. "The Gothic Experiment." A History of Western Architecture. London: Laurence King, 2015. 154-55. Print.