Chartres Cathedral, France

Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres commonly referred as Chartres Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Chartres, France. The construction of the cathedral began on the Romanesque foundations of an earlier church in 1145 but was severely damaged by a fire in 1194. It was rebuilt and reconstructed between 1194 and 1220 and dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX in 1260.

The Gothic cathedral was built after the plan of an anonymous architect in a shape of a cross. The spacious nave is 36 meters(118,8 feet) high and 28 meters long (92,4 feet). The plain pyramid spire (which survived the fire of 1194) is 105 meters (349 feet) high, while Flamboyant spire from the early 16th century is 113 meter (377 feet) high. Cathedral's stained glass windows date from 13th century. Chartres Cathedral stained glass windows remained almost untouched over the next centuries and represent one of the most complete collections of medieval stained glass in the world.

Chartres Cathedral is one of finest examples of Gothic architecture in France and is almost completely preserved in its original appearance. It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1979.

Categories

• Home
• Catholic Churches
• Orthodox Churches
• Catholic Cathedrals
• Orthodox Cathedrals
• Protestant Churches and Cathedrals
• Anglican Cathedrals
• Greek Catholic Cathedrals
• Catholic Basilicas
• Orthodox Basilicas
• Orthodox Monasteries
• Other Christian Churches