Chartres Cathedral
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| - | '''Chartres''' ({{IPA-fr|ʃaʁtʁ}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] and capital of the [[Eure-et-Loir]] [[Departments of France|department]] in northern France. | + | The [[France in the Middle Ages|French medieval]] '''Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres''' ({{lang-fr|link=no|Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres}}) is a [[Latin Rite]] Catholic cathedral located in [[Chartres]], about {{convert|80|km}} southwest of Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of the French [[Gothic architecture|High Gothic]] style. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is one of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a [[Episcopal see|bishopric]] in the 4th century. |
| - | Chartres is built on a hill on the left bank of the [[Eure River]]. Its renowned medieval [[Chartres cathedral|cathedral]] is at the top of the hill, and its two spires are visible from miles away across the flat surrounding lands. To the south-east stretches the fruitful plain of [[Beauce]], the "granary of France", of which the town is the commercial centre. | + | What makes the cathedral special from an artistic viewpoint is its exceptional state of preservation. 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 buttress]]es 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 dating from the 1140s 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 – and remains so to this day, attracting large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of who 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 see this UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]. | ||
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Revision as of 20:30, 13 October 2012
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The French medieval Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (Template:Lang-fr) is a Latin Rite Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, about Template:Convert southwest of Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is one of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the 4th century.
What makes the cathedral special from an artistic viewpoint is its exceptional state of preservation. 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 dating from the 1140s 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 – and remains so to this day, attracting large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of who 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 see this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
