History of Chartres Cathedral
 It is believed that a church has existed where the
current church is since the fourth century
 Due to fires, the church has been rebuilt several
times
 The current church was built between 1194 to
1260
 Only the crypt, the base of the towers, and the
west facade survived the fires
Dimensions
 Length 130 m (1 ½
football fields)
 Width of nave: 16.4 m
 Height of vaults: 37 m
 Romanesque tower
(south): 107.5 m
 Jehan of Beauce tower
(north): 114 m
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south tower was built in the 12th century
north tower was added in the 16th century
Cruciform
Etched in Stone

Numerical symbolism is embedded in
the design of the church
four directions, four winds, four seasons, four
rivers of paradise
Gothic Style
 Pointed arch
 ribbed vaulting
 flying buttresses
 enlarged sanctuary
 cruciform layout
Stained glass windows
green=immortality/life
dark blue=Virgin Mary
light blue=peace
red= charity/blood of Christ/Christ’s passion
orange=speaking in tongue or in the words of Jesus
purple=royaltyJesus from line of David/Jesse Tree
white= purity/innocence/ holy spirit
yellow/gold= power/glory/halo/gates of heaven
Rose Windows
The windows of Chartres
are divided into three
categories:
1) The lower windows
recount life stories or
stories taken from the Bible
 Rose windows are the
apex of stained glass
development. The
stained glass windows
contained sacred
medieval imagery.
2) The upper windows
include figures of saints
illustrated in monu-mental
manner
3) The three large rose
windows proclaim the glory
of Christ and the Virgin.
 Column statues depict 19
of the 22 original Old
Testament figures.
 Christ is carved in the
middle of the three royal
portals
 Walking a labyrinth is a form of prayer and
meditation that comes from a Christian
tradition of the 12th and 13th centuries.
Labyrinths are metaphors for the pilgrim’s spiritual journey.
 A piece of fabric
believed to have been
worn by the Virgin
Mary as she gave
birth to Jesus.
 Because of this relic,
Chartres became a
major pilgrimage
center.
The Crypt
 The crypt of Chartres Cathedral is the
largest in France.
 Dating from the 11th century
 Initially the well was located at the
exterior of the first church, the well
later was built inside of the crypt
 The well is called the “Saints-Forts”
 The bodies of the first Chartrian
martyrs were thrown into the well
Early-Late Gothic