Overview
On a clear day, Chartres Cathedral is visible from 20 km away, rising out of the wheatfields of the flat Beauce region. Its sudden appearance must have astonished medieval pilgrims. Although legends claim the site was sacred to the druids, there is no archaeological evidence. The earliest written record of a cathedral here is its destruction in 743 by the Duke of Aquitaine.
Early Christians likely adopted an older pagan site, perhaps associated with a virgin-mother cult, and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. Successive structures were vulnerable: the second cathedral was destroyed by Vikings in 858. A third cathedral, consecrated around 876, received a treasured relic — the Sancta Camisia, believed to be a tunic worn by the Virgin at the Nativity. Its arrival raised the cathedral’s prestige, and the relic was said to protect the city.
The cult of relics expanded from the 4th century onward, as rulers and religious institutions sought tangible links to the holy. Authenticity mattered less than the spiritual influence relics exerted. In an age of hardship, pilgrims travelled long distances to pray before sacred objects, believing their prayers were strengthened by proximity.
Chartres grew into a fortified and prosperous city, further enhanced by its renowned cathedral school — among Europe’s leading centres of learning until the founding of the Sorbonne in 1215. But fire repeatedly plagued the site. Fulbert’s 11th-century Romanesque cathedral survived until 1194, when a massive blaze destroyed most of Chartres, sparing only the west façade and towers. The present cathedral was built astonishingly quickly — in roughly 25 years — integrating the old façade with soaring new Gothic architecture.
Chartres escaped the Wars of Religion, the Revolution and two World Wars and remains the best-preserved of the great French cathedrals. Today it combines three major building phases: the 11th-century crypt, the 12th-century west façade and the main Gothic structure (1194–1220).
The Visit
Your route depends on available time. For a half-day visit, prepare commentary and guide the group through the interior. Begin your approach from a distance so they can take in the west façade and compare the towers: both began in the 1230s, but the north tower gained an elaborate 16th-century spire, creating the famous contrast.
The Gothic Breakthrough
The 12th-century revolution in architecture was both technical and spiritual. The Romanesque rounded arch limited vertical height. By dividing the circle into a pointed arch, builders could reach much higher. Rib vaulting, pointed arches and flying buttresses transferred weight to a “skeleton,” freeing the walls for vast stained-glass windows.
This new architecture suited a deeply religious age. Every element of the Gothic church was symbolic. The cruciform ground plan, the upward thrust of vaults, the light pouring through coloured glass — all were visual metaphors for salvation, Christ’s sacrifice and the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Since most people were illiterate, the cathedral functioned as a vast “Bible in stone and glass.” Imagery narrated the entire Christian story — creation, fall, prophecy, Incarnation, redemption and the Last Judgement — while Mary, as the link between Old and New Testaments, held special prominence.
The Royal Portal
Before entering, pause at the Royal Portal on the west façade — the oldest surviving part of the cathedral. Due to repeated fires, what was once the “new” façade of the old cathedral became the “old” façade of the new one within 70 years.
The three doors represent the Trinity. Each tympanum shows Christ: in the centre as Judge of the Last Day, flanked by the evangelist symbols and the apostles; on the left ascending into heaven; on the right seated as a child on Mary’s lap above scenes of the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity and Presentation.
The elongated column-figures on either side — serene, dignified and integrated into the architecture — contrast beautifully with the more naturalistic Gothic sculptures on the transepts carved a century later.
Inside the Cathedral
Entering the nave, give the group a moment to adjust to the light. Then gather them facing the three great lancet windows under the west rose.
After the 1194 fire, it was believed the Sancta Camisia had been lost. When priests emerged from the crypt carrying the relic clearly unharmed, the populace interpreted it as a sign from the Virgin demanding a more magnificent church. Reconstruction began at once.
Chartres had to accommodate enormous pilgrimage crowds. Pilgrims slept inside; each morning priests washed the vast interior, explaining the slope of the floor near the entrance.
The Labyrinth
On the nave floor is a circular labyrinth (usually covered by chairs). Pilgrims traced it on their knees as a symbolic Jerusalem pilgrimage — its twists and apparent dead ends representing the soul’s journey toward salvation.
Stained Glass — “Chartres Blue”
Forty-three windows were donated by the guilds, each identified by scenes of their trade. But the three great lancets precede these and contain some of the oldest surviving stained glass in Europe, including the luminous and inimitable “Chartres Blue.”
Glass was coloured while molten — cobalt for blue, copper for green, iron for red. Pieces were cut, set in lead, and detailed with fine etching. During WWII all windows were removed and hidden in the Dordogne; since the 1960s they have been painstakingly cleaned and protected with bonded film.
The West Lancets
The Jesse Window (right) depicts Isaiah’s prophecy: “A rod shall come forth from the stem of Jesse.” At the bottom lies Jesse; above him rise the royal ancestors of Christ, culminating in Mary and Christ. Fourteen prophets appear in medallions at the sides.
The Incarnation Window (centre) shows the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, shepherds, Magi, the Flight into Egypt and Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. Mary appears enthroned at the summit.
The Passion and Resurrection Window (left) contains episodes from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. The green cross reflects tradition that it was made from the Tree of Life.
The Transepts and Roses
Walk the group to the transept crossing to admire the great north and south rose windows. Note uncleaned versus restored glass: centuries-old patina dims the light until removed.
The Choir Screen and Treasury
The 13th-century Rood screen once divided clergy from pilgrims; only the 16th-century sculpted choir screen remains, with 41 scenes completed over 200 years. Many are easily recognised — encourage participants to identify episodes from Mary’s and Christ’s lives.
Near the altar lies the entrance to the Treasury, where the relic of the Sancta Camisia is displayed in a 19th-century frame. If open, include it in your visit.
Returning toward the west end, you pass the 19th-century altar of the Virgin of the Pillar, a small wooden statue (likely 16th-century) long associated with local devotion.
If time allows, visitors may climb the north tower or descend to the crypt (for an additional fee).