Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral

The market town of Chartres lies about 96 km (61 miles) south-west of Paris and it has been famous throughout the Christian world for centuries, thanks to its magnificent cathedral.

In 875, Charles II presented the 'Sancta Camisia' to Chartres. This was the garment supposedly worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave birth to Christ, and its presence led to an immediate influx of pilgrims.

In 1194 the existing church burnt down, but the relic, seemingly miraculously, was untouched. Funds flooded in to enable a new church to be built, and by 1260, the new, glorious Chartres Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres) had risen from the ashes. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Some of the original, Romanesque building can still be seen - in the smaller, octagonal tower, the Royal Portal and the rounded arches – but most of the rest of the building, including the superlative stained glass, dates from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The floor of the nave is inlaid with a black and white 'labyrinth'. This device served as a substitute for the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and the faithful were expected to follow its path on their hands and knees.

There are wonderful carvings and statues to be seen, but it is the stained glass that really makes the cathedral special. During both world wars, the thousands of panes from the 172 windows were carefully taken apart and hidden in the Dordogne for safekeeping.

The stained glass windows tell stories from the Bible that can be 'read' from the bottom (Earth) to the top (Heaven), and from left to right. The glass is gradually being restored and cleaned and glows with rich reds, greens and, in particular, the renowned Chartres blue. The cathedral could be reached by train from Paris.