NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL

Chartres, France

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is located in the medieval town of Chartres. Not only is it one of the greatest achievements in the history of architecture, it is almost perfectly preserved in its original design and details. According to tradition, the Cathedral has housed the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sancta Camisia, since 876. Because of this relic, Chartres has been an important pilgrimage center. The present cathedral is one of several French Gothic masterpieces built because fire had destroyed its predecessor. After the fire in 1020, a new Romanesque basilica with a massive crypt was built under the direction of Bishop Fulbert. The cathedral survived another fire in 1134 that destroyed much of the rest of the town. But in 1194, lightning ignited a fire that destroyed all but the west towers, the façade and the crypt. Donations came in from all over France and rebuilding began almost immediately. The people of Chartres hauled the stone from quarries five miles away. The construction project used the plans laid out by the first architect, to preserve the harmonious aspect of the cathedral. Work began first on the nave and by 1220, the main structure was complete. The remaining building parts were incorporated into the new building. On October 24, 1260, the cathedral was finally dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX and his family.

While visiting my son studying architecture in Paris, the whole family took a day trip to Chartres to see this magnificent building. I recalled from architecture history classes 40 years earlier that this was one of the three most significant Gothic cathedrals of France (along with Amiens and Reims). One has to see Chartres to appreciate it. The structure is enormous, which inspires a sense of awe. From the train station (the view for the sketch), the cathedral seems to hover over the city in the foreground. We ascended the stairs of one tower to the bridge. If I had not seen it, I would not have believed that such an intact structure could have been erected nearly 1,000 years ago.