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The Chartres Cathedral is a Gothic style cathedral located in Chartres, France constructed by unknown architects. Chartres is fifty miles southwest of Paris. The nave of the church, the area that is central and open inside a church, is 122 feet high (Fiero B2.111). The height of the clerestory, or high wall with a line of windows along the top, and the nave arcade are both three times the height of the triforium (Craven, “What is a ‘Clerestory’”). A triforium is “a gallery forming an upper story to the aisle of a church and typically an arcaded story between the nave arches and clerestory” (“Triforium”). Basically, standing inside the cathedral, one will be standing in a very spacious room with high arched ceilings. There are approximately 150-170 medieval stained glass windows in the cathedral (Hayes, “Chartres”). From approximately 876 to hundreds of years later, the crypt in the church contained the tunic worn by Mary during the birth of Jesus Christ ("The Wondrous Background"). Today the tunic is preserved behind glass and is on display in the back, left-hand side of the church ("Cathedrale de Chartres"). Chartres also has three portals on sides of the structure that set it apart from other cathedrals (Hayes, “Chartres”). Studying the features of this Gothic cathedral provides us with a look into the past and lets us see the impact it had during the time it was constructed as well as its impact today.<!--more-->

There is no exact date of when the Chartres Cathedral was built from bottom to top. There were many churches built prior to the Chartres Cathedral on the same site that were destroyed by fires. In fact, fires occurred frequently in the history of the cathedral and there was much rebuilding. On the site, in 1020, the Church of Gislebert burned down. In 1134, a fire hit the town of Chartres and burned down the church. That fire affected the western porch and conjoining belfry, or bell tower. Reconstruction began around 1140 and the towers of the cathedral were built. Unfortunately, a big fire burned down a majority of the church in 1194. People were worried the Sancta Camisia, the tunic of the Blessed Virgin Mary, had been lost. There is evidence the tunic had been stored in a church on the Chartres site as early as 876 (Hayes, “Chartres”). Luckily, it was recovered unharmed and the bishop proclaimed it was a sign from Mary that a more magnificent cathedral should be built. Donations came in from all over France and the rebuilding began. By 1220, the main structure was complete and on October 24, 1260, the cathedral was dedicated to King Louis IX and his family (Hayes, “Chartres”). Disregarding prior buildings on this site, it could be stated that the Chartres Cathedral that stands today was built from 1194-1260.

The Cathedral of Chartres existed during the High Middle Ages, a time where religion, specifically Christianity, played a huge role in multiple aspects of society. Politics, education, and social status were all affected by religion. In 1054, the Eastern and Western churches split and separately became the Christian Church of Rome and the Greek Orthodox Church in Constantinople (Fiero B2.111). In the West, the papacy installed the College of Cardinals in 1022 in order to guarantee independence of the Church from secular interference (Fiero B2.110). Popes were elected by the College of Cardinals had power and were in a way like secular monarchs responsible for governing a “complex bureaucracy that incorporated financial, judicial, and disciplinary branches.” By the end of the twelfth century, the Catholic Church was very wealthy due to many Christian donations and controlled the most land in Western Europe (Fiero B2.110).

Politics and religion crossed paths when the Church enforced religious obedience. There were penalties such as excommunication, or exclusion from the sacraments, and interdict, the excommunication of cities or states. Denying people of the truths of Christianity, or heresy, caused opposing groups to form like the Waldensians. The Waldensians followed the reformer Peter Waldo, who believed the Bible should be translated into the vernacular (Fiero B2.110). In response to some groups’ anticlericalism, the Church launched violent antiheretical crusades. The pope established the Inquisition, an antiheretical court, in 1233 and it tried people accused as heretics. Sometimes physical force was used on the accused to get him/her to confess. It went as far as hanging or burning at the stake those whom could not be “restored to the faith” (Fiero B2.111).

The Church civilized society by enforcing non-violent periods, taking care of the poor, sick, and homeless, and by contributing to orphanages, hospitals, or other organizations. The Church had a huge amount of power and the papacy was the most powerful institution in Western Europe at some point (Fiero B2.111). Culture was influenced by religion, so people tried to live a healthy, Christian life in order to be guaranteed a spot in Heaven. Also, if one did not live a Christian life and violated a practice of the church, one would be at risk for facing excommunication or possibly worse punishments. Social status depended on relation to the church; popes had a lot of nobility.

The Chartres Cathedral is typical of this era because during this era, a majority of life revolved around the Church, so the church was built in a large, grandeur, awe-inspiring manner. The huge size made it a main focus of the town and other buildings were nothing compared to its architecture. The Gothic architecture of piercing tall towers, detailed sculpting around the exterior, and magnificent stained glass are powerful, symbolic, and simply amazing.

Stained glass was magnificently created to represent a Christian event or belief. Romanesque style in the stained glass can be seen in the composition and arrangement of dress folds in Chartres ("Chartres Cathedral" 46-47). For example, the three West Rose windows depict the Last Judgment; there are Passion and Resurrection, Incarnation, and Tree of Jesse windows (Hayes, “Chartres"). Gothic innovation included experimentation with color, and a new color, “Chartres blue,” was first used on the three West Rose windows ("Chartres Cathedral " 46-47). There are other beautiful stained glass windows on the North Rose and South Rose, too. Today, 152 of the original 186 windows are still in place ("Chartres Cathedral " 46-47).

Chartres contained unique elements new to the era. For example, flying buttresses were needed to support the tall structures of the cathedral. “Chartres was the first building on which buttresses were used as a structural element that determined the overall external appearance of the building” (Hayes, “Chartres”). A flying buttress is a support attached to the main structure by an arch or half-arch (Craven, “What is a ‘Buttress?’”). The flying buttresses on Chartres make it an even more complex structure and add to its greatness.

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Another unique feature of Chartres is the different heights of the west spires. A spire is, “a structure or formation, such as a steeple, that tapers to a point at the top” (“Spire”). The south spire is from the 1140s and is a 349-foot plain Romanesque pyramid while the north is a 377-foot elaborate Gothic spire from the early 16<sup>th</sup> century (Hayes, “Chartres”). Even though the different spires are uneven, there is still an impact of their greatness and height.

The Chartres Cathedral has unique North, South, and West (Royal) portals, or openings or entrances in the walls of a building. The Royal portals were finished in 1150 and they are one of the surviving architectural features of the cathedral (Hayes, “Chartres”). The Royal portals are a major monument of Gothic sculpture (Farber). There are elongated statues of expressive kings, queens, and other Old Testament figures looking down with “elegant condescension” decorating it (Hayes, “Chartres”). Transition from Romanesque to Gothic style is visible because the elongation of the figures reflects the past and the realistic, expressive faces reflect the newer Gothic style.

The completion of Chartres after the fire of 1194 was received as hopeful, uplifting, and inspiring. Since the Sancta Camisia survived the devastating fire and the church was repaired and added onto in honor of Mary, its completion touched people in a religious manner and increased overall faith of the city ("The Wondrous Background"). It is said that the Sancta Camisia was given to the cathedral by Charlemagne; he had received it as a gift during a journey to Jerusalem (Hayes, “Chartres”). It is amazing that an ancient piece of cloth could survive a fire that damaged other sections of the church.

Today, the cathedral is still breath taking. Seen from a distance, Chartres Cathedral seems to tower alone, but as one gets closer, the surrounding city and its structures come into view (Hayes, “Chartres”). One could not help but gaze in awe at the vibrant, detailed stained glass the cathedral holds, too. In one of the oldest windows of the cathedral, the combination of reds and blues influenced it’s naming of “Notre Dame de la Belle Verrière, or “Our Lady of the Beautiful Glass.” The Virgin Mary is seen as both Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. Jesus is sitting on her lap in front of her womb, so she is depicted as the Seat of Wisdom (Fiero B2.133). In order to see the symbolism in the beautiful glass, it takes more than just a simple glance. These windows remain just as powerful today as they were back in medieval times.

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There was probably more celebration and pride of the people living when it was constructed after the fire of 1194 versus now because in today’s world, the chances of a fire occurring and ruining the cathedral and its contents is slim due to regulated security precautions. The cathedral today has many visitors from all over the world and is seen somewhat in a tourist manner versus back in the Middle Ages when its only purpose was that of religion. Yes, it is still a sacred place today, but there are also people simply there for tourism.

My personal reaction to the work initially was that I was stunned at its height, pointy towers, and magnificent stained glass windows. At first I had no idea of its history, architectural features, and overall depth as a sacred building. I just saw it as a huge cathedral. After researching and learning its history and details about its features and contents, I was blown away. Uncovering the details of Chartres expanded my architectural vocabulary, too. I had no idea to some of the terms used in reference to the cathedral so I learned a handful of new terms.

I found the fact that there had been a church on this same site in Chartres since at least 876 until now was incredible (Hayes, “Chartres”). I found it meaningful that when a fire damaged parts of the church in 1194, but the tunic of Mary survived, Christians were so touched by this that donations and work allowed for the repairing and constructing of the Cathedral as it is seen today. The people took the survival of the Sancta Camisia as a religious sign so dedicated making the cathedral into an astonishing structure. This was an inspirational story I had no idea existed behind this brilliant building.

The Chartres Cathedral is not the only well-known cathedral in France; Sainte Chapelle may be a small cathedral, but it is just as powerful. Sainte Chapelle was commissioned for the Ile de France by King Louis IX (Fiero B2.135). The structure was finished in 1248 after two years of constructing (Hayes, “Sainte-Chapelle”). Comparing the Chartres Cathedral to Sainte Chapelle, Chartres is a monster. The size difference is highly noticeable. It has a small and humble exterior, unlike the Chartres (Hayes, “Sainte-Chapelle”). Despite the differences, there are similarities between the two structures.
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Both of these buildings have stained glass windows. Sainte Chapelle has 49-foot high lancet windows on the upper level that show off the vivid red and purplish blue glass. There are also over a thousand stories depicted in the windows (Fiero B2.135). While Chartres does have stained glass, Sainte Chapelle is characterized by its stained glass and is known as the medieval “jewelbox” (Fiero B2.135). While inside the church, there “is a feeling of being enveloped in light and color” (Hayes, “Sainte-Chapelle”).

The Chartres Cathedral’s flamboyant Gothic architecture, as seen through the towering spires, height of the nave, stained glass, and unique portals, is significant for future generations to appreciate. If studied, the history can be learned and allow for generations in the future to see what life was like in the medieval time period. Differences in architecture of buildings then compared to now explains a lot about the values and cultures of societies at the different times. For the detailed architecture and beauty achieved in Chartres, no words can describe the amount of effort, faith, and heart put into it by the Christians of the medieval time period. Future generations will look over this cathedral and miss the inspirational history and unique architectural details of it unless this is preserved. This needs to be preserved so future generations can see the importance behind historical buildings like the Chartres Cathedral.

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Works Cited

"Cathedrale de Chartres." <em>Paris Bestlodge.com</em> n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.parisbestlodge.com/chartres1.html&gt;. This site was a travel site and briefly described a few features of the cathedral. It helped me get information on where the Sancta Camisia is found today.

"Chartres Cathedral and its Stained Glass." <em>Athena Review</em> 2005: 46-47. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.athenapub.com/14chartres.htm&gt;. This was a magazine article that described the stained glass in Chartres. I found details about the stained glass windows.

Craven, Jackie. "What Is a "Buttress?” What Is a "Flying Buttress"?." <em>About.com Architecture</em> n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://architecture.about.com/od/buildingparts/g/buttresses.htm&gt;. This website defined the word “buttress.”

---. "What is a "Clerestory" Window?." <em>About.com Architecture</em> n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://architecture.about.com/od/structural/g/clerestory.htm&gt;. This website defined the word “clerestory window.”

Farber, Allen. "The Royal Portals of Chartres." <em>Art History Courses</em>. N.p., 2010. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/arth212/Royal_Portals.html&gt;. This was a site that described the Royal Portals, or West Portals, of Chartres. I found details on the structure.

Fiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B2.110-135. eBook. This is a humanities online textbook. In the Gotchic and medieval chapters it describes the history, literature, architecture, and other unique events or items of the time period. I used this to get information on the history of the medieval time period and I found information on the Chartres Cathedral’s features.

Hayes, Holly. "Chartres Cathedral." <em>Sacred Destinations</em> (2010): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cathedral&gt;.

---. "Sainte-Chapelle, Paris." <em>Sacred Destinations</em> (2010): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-sainte-chapelle&gt;. This was a website that described Sainte-Chapelle. I gathered information in order to make a comparison to Chartres.

"Spire." <span style="text-decoration: underline">The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition</span>. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Company 9 Mar. 2011 &lt;http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spire&gt;. I used this website to define “spire.”

"Triforium." <em>Merriam-Webster</em>. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2011. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triforium&gt;. I used this website to define “triforium.”

"The Wondrous Background and History of Chartres Cathedral." <em>Chartres Secrets</em> (2008): n. pag. Web. 9 Mar 2011. &lt;http://en.chartressecrets.org/cathedral/background_history.htm&gt;. This site gave information about Chartres and went into detail about the stained glass, the portals, and other unique features about the cathedral. It helped me elaborate on the history and architecture of the cathedral.