Chartres Cathedral Europe. Chartres Cathedral. In fiction

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rear façade

Just a 1-hour train ride from Paris, and the passenger arrives in the quiet, charming province of Chartres.

The city of Chartres was founded on the site of Celtic settlements, which eventually came under Roman influence. Christianity was officially adopted in Chartres around 350 AD.

At the site of the cathedral there was originally a church and a bishop's house. The remains of Roman walls at the base of the cathedral indicate that it was built on the site of pagan rituals.

The waves of destructive barbarian invasions that plundered and destroyed the city ceased after a decisive victory in the battle of 911. This was followed by a period of prosperity that culminated in the twelfth century.

By that time, the city had expanded to the boundaries that it subsequently occupied until the nineteenth century.

The beginning of the veneration of Our Lady in Chartres occurred at the beginning of the seventh century, but it became one of the main centers of pilgrimage in Europe after Charles the Bald in 876. Due to the close connection with the name of Mary, the cathedral, unlike other churches, did not have burials and accommodation tombs

In the narrow streets of Chartres there are buildings preserved from the times of Roman rule and ancient half-timbered houses from the 12th century. There are arched bridges and picturesque views of the canal. But the main pride of Chartres is its handsome two-domed cathedral, decorated with amazing blue stained glass windows. Its huge sharp spire is visible from every corner of the city - behind the houses, in the gaps of the streets and from the windows of the houses.

On the site of Chartres Cathedral, there has long been a sanctuary of the Druids - Celtic priests. In the 8th century, there already existed an altar built in honor of St. Mary of Chartres, and in 876 one of the most precious relics of Christianity appeared in Chartres - the shroud (cover) of the Virgin Mary. Tradition says that it was in this robe that the Virgin Mary was dressed at the time of the birth of I. Christ. The relic ended up in Chartres thanks to the French king Charles II the Bald, who donated it to the city temple.

In 1194, there was a fire in the city, which almost completely destroyed the first Chartres Cathedral, built in 1020, but the casket where the shrine was kept miraculously survived, and this event was considered a sign from above. Construction of the new cathedral began immediately after the fire. Donations poured in from all over France. On a wave of enthusiasm, city residents worked for free in the quarries.

The design of the previous building was taken as a basis, into which the surviving parts of the old building were inscribed. Compared to other Gothic temples that were built over centuries, Chartres Cathedral was created in record time. By 1220, the main part of the building was ready, and on October 24, 1260 The temple was consecrated in the presence of King Louis IX. Some sources claim that the grandiose construction was financed by the Knights of the Templar Order. Supporters of this hypothesis believe that the mysterious labyrinth of 1205, tiled on the floor of the cathedral, is marked with Templar symbols, which are also present on some other interior details.

The three-nave building has a Latin cross plan with a short three-nave transept and an ambulatory. The eastern part of the temple has several semicircular radial chapels.

Three of them protrude noticeably beyond the boundaries of the semicircle of the ambulatory, the remaining four have less depth.

At the time of construction, the vaults of Chartres Cathedral were the highest in France, which was achieved through the use of flying buttresses resting on buttresses.

Additional flying buttresses supporting the apse appeared in the 14th century. Chartres Cathedral was the first in the design of which this architectural element was used, which gave it completely unprecedented external contours and made it possible to increase the size of the window openings and the height of the nave (36 meters).

View from the cathedral tower to the east

north tower

A distinctive feature of the cathedral's appearance are its two very different towers. The 105-meter spire of the south tower, built in 1140, is made in the shape of a simple Romanesque pyramid.

south tower

The north tower, 113 meters high, has a base left over from a Romanesque cathedral, and the tower's spire dates back to the early 16th century and is made in the Flamboyant Gothic style.

Chartres Cathedral has nine portals, three of which remain from the old Romanesque cathedral

The north portal dates from 1230 and contains sculptures of Old Testament characters. The southern portal, created between 1224 and 1250, uses scenes from the New Testament with a central composition dedicated to the Last Judgment.

The West Portal of Christ and the Virgin Mary, better known as the Royal Portal, dates from 1150 and is famous for its depiction of Christ in Glory, created in the 12th century.

The entrances to the north and south transepts are decorated with sculptures from the 13th century. In total, the cathedral's decoration includes about 10,000 sculptures made of stone and glass.

On the south side of the cathedral there is an astronomical clock from the 16th century. Before the clock mechanism broke down in 1793, they showed not only the time, but also the day of the week, the month, the time of sunrise and sunset, the phases of the moon and the current sign of the Zodiac.

The Royal Portal, built around 1150, survived the fire of 1194.

Its three entrance doors are surrounded by some of the finest examples of European Gothic sculpture

The figures are located next to the surface of the façade wall.

Resting on thin, tall columns, they frame door jambs, lintels, pointed arches and tympanums.

Almost the entire outer wall is decorated with bas-reliefs. The figures in the tympanum represent Jesus, the Old Testament ancestors, prophets and kings. With the exception of Moses, it is difficult to visually attribute the figures.

Of the original twenty-four figures, nineteen are currently represented. The rest were moved to the museum and replaced with copies. The elegance and aristocracy of their appearance remained unsurpassed for the Gothic tradition.

All the sculptures of the portal (as well as the entire cathedral as a whole) became an integral part of the architecture.

At present, it is not possible to decipher the secret meaning of the Gothic symbolism of the plots and sculptures of Chartres Cathedral.

The highly acclaimed School of Chartres, led by Bernard of Chartres and his brother Thierry (author of the book on the seven liberal arts), became one of the main centers of the intellectual revival of the twelfth century. Here attempts were made to logically “reconcile” the works of Aristotle and Plato with the Bible.

They are reflected in the interpretation of the subjects of the figures on the Royal Portal of the Cathedral. The majestic figure of Christ presented in the tympanum is surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists (bull, lion, eagle and angel). The plot, in all likelihood, depicts the Last Judgment, however, no suffering of souls is represented.

The tympanum above the right door represents the birth and childhood of Jesus. In its center is the figure of the Mother of God on a throne with the baby Jesus on her lap.

In the arch around them are symbols of the seven liberal arts and, associated with them, characters of antiquity: Taken together, the sculptures from the face of Jesus call for balancing an active lifestyle (work) with an intellectual life (research) and spiritual knowledge (church and university).

The interior of the cathedral is no less remarkable. The spacious nave, unparalleled in all of France, opens to a magnificent apse located at the eastern end of the cathedral.

The four-sided diagonal ribs of the ribs in the cathedral floors in each compartment are X-shaped in plan.

In contrast to the common system with six-sided placement of ribs, this made it possible to more evenly distribute the load on the columns. Architectural changes also affected buttresses and flying buttresses.

Instead of large circular galleries (as in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris), darkening the interior space and preventing the parishioners from experiencing the church service, low and narrow passages (triforums) were made in Chartres. While maintaining the stability of the structure as a whole, this made it possible to significantly increase the vertical dimensions of the windows in the main space of the cathedral.

Martin Chapel

Pilar Chapel

The visual lightness of the buttresses and flying buttresses at Chartres Cathedral is unique. Placed in three levels along the main nave, the buttresses act like spokes on a wheel, engaging the two rows of lower arches. In general, this increases the effect of “dematerialization” of the perception of the structure of the choir and apse.

The vaulted gallery of the ambulatory goes around the choir and the altar, which are separated from the rest of the space by a carved wall. The wall appeared at the beginning of the 16th century and over the next two centuries it was gradually decorated with carved figures depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

The cathedral is famous for its stained glass windows, the total area of which is about 2000 m2

The ensemble of Chartres stained glass windows is absolutely unique: 146 windows depict 1,359 different scenes. They tell about biblical events and about the lives of people of all classes - kings, knights, artisans, peasants. Apart from the large stained glass windows on the main façade's window roses and transepts, the most famous is the stained glass window depicting Our Lady in her vestment in a unique shade, "Chartres blue".

Fragment of the stained glass window “Virgin from beautiful glass”

North transept rose window

rose on the western facade

Apart from the large stained glass roses on the west façade and the south and north transepts, the most famous are the 1150 stained glass window "Our Lady of Beautiful Glass" and the composition "The Tree of Jesus".

The construction of the rose at the north end of the transept was paid for by Blanca of Castile, granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

A distinctive feature of the stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral is the extreme saturation and purity of colors, the secret of which has been lost. Scenes from the Bible and everyday life organically coexist in their plots. The latter is represented mainly by bakers and aristocrats, that is, people who financed the construction.

The large number of characters and plots gives reason to consider stained glass windows as a kind of illustrated encyclopedia of medieval life. The stained glass windows have darkened greatly over time, but some of them (on the west facade), restored in the 1980s, testify to how brilliant they were in their time. All three Gothic roses of the cathedral are also outstanding works of art.

The floor of the cathedral is decorated with an ancient labyrinth from 1205. It symbolizes the believer's path to God and is still used by pilgrims for meditation. There is only one way through this cathedral labyrinth. The size of the labyrinth practically coincides with the size of the window rose of the western facade (but does not repeat it exactly, as many mistakenly believe), and the distance from the western entrance to the labyrinth is exactly equal to the height of the window.

The labyrinth has eleven concentric circles, the total length of the path through the labyrinth is approximately 260 meters. In its center is a flower with six petals, the contours of which resemble the roses of a cathedral.

The facade of the cathedral is “carved” with bas-reliefs, and the interior is decorated with sculptures carved from stone. In total, there are 10,000 sculptural compositions in Notre-Dame de Chartres.

the cathedral's western façade

They are the best sculptural examples of High Gothic.

At the same time, they can also be used to judge how attitudes towards sculpture changed over the course of seventy years after the completion of the Royal Portal.

The sculptures on the western facade are still part of the architecture with which they are physically connected. Sculptures of later times are independent of architecture and have more realistic proportions and portrait individuality.

The sacristy was added to the cathedral at the end of the thirteenth century. Its roof is topped with a chapel. In 1506, instead of the northern tower of the western facade, destroyed by lightning, a new one was built, with a stone spire. Stylistically, it is the opposite of the Romanesque, located on the south side. However, symmetry was not important for medieval architecture, which valued a "dynamic balance of contrasts." In 1836, after a fire, seven wooden rafters were replaced with metal ones - one of the first long-span metal structures in France.

Its majestic silhouette still dominates the city and the surrounding landscape, where wheat is grown, just as it was 800 years ago. Chartres Cathedral is one of the largest Gothic buildings. The width of its nave exceeds 17 meters, which is larger than that of any cathedral in France, including Notre Dame in Paris and Amiens Cathedral. The vaults of Chartres rise above the floor level at a height of more than 40 meters. Its length (occupying an entire city block) exceeds 150 meters, and the transept stretches for 70 meters.

Rodin called Chartres Cathedral the French Acropolis.
The American Institute of Architects regularly allocates significant sums for the preservation and restoration of the cathedral. It is amazing how such a small city as Chartres (with a population of barely more than 5,000 people at the beginning of the 13th century) could build such a significant structure at such great expense. But, Chartres is a wealthy city and provincial center, still producing most of France's wheat

http://www.5arts.info/chartres_cathedral/

André Trintignac, Découvrir Notre-Dame de Chartres, Paris, les Éd. du Cerf, 1988, 334 p.-p

Address: France, Chartres, rue Cloître Notre Dame, 16
Start of construction: 1194
Completion of construction: 1260
Coordinates: 48°26′50″N,1°29′16″E
Tower height: northern 113 m., southern 105
Main attractions: stained glass windows of the 12th-13th centuries

Content:

Just 1 hour by train from Paris, and the passenger arrives in the quiet, charming province of Chartres.

In the narrow streets of Chartres there are buildings preserved from the times of Roman rule and ancient half-timbered houses from the 12th century. There are arched bridges and picturesque views of the canal. But the main pride of Chartres is the handsome two-domed cathedral, decorated with amazing blue stained glass windows. Its huge sharp spire is visible from every corner of the city - behind houses, in the street gaps and from the windows of restaurants.

Western façade of the cathedral

Shroud of the Virgin Mary - relic of Chartres Cathedral

On the site of Chartres Cathedral, there has long been a sanctuary of Druids - Celtic priests. In the 8th century there already existed an altar built in honor of St. Mary of Chartres, and in 876, one of the most precious relics of Christianity appeared in Chartres - the shroud (cover) of the Virgin Mary.

Tradition says that it was in this robe that the Virgin Mary was dressed at the time of the birth of I. Christ. The relic ended up in Chartres thanks to the French king Charles II the Bald, who donated it to the city temple.

View of the southern facade of the building

In 1194, there was a fire in the city that almost completely destroyed the first Chartres Cathedral, built in 1020, but the casket where the shrine was kept miraculously survived, and this event was considered a sign from above.

Record short construction

Construction of the new cathedral began immediately after the fire. Donations poured in from all over France. On a wave of enthusiasm, city residents worked for free in the quarries. Compared to other Gothic churches that took centuries to build, Chartres Cathedral was created in record time.

View of the north and south towers of Chartres Cathedral

By 1220, the main part of the building was ready, and on October 24, 1260, the temple was consecrated in the presence of King Louis IX. Some sources claim that the grandiose construction was financed by the Knights of the Templar Order.

Proponents of this hypothesis believe that the mysterious labyrinth of 1205, tiled on the floor of the cathedral, is marked with Templar symbols, which are also present on some other interior details.

Sculptures and stained glass - the treasures of Chartres Cathedral

South porch of Charts Cathedral

The grandiose Gothic temple, called Notre-Dame de Chartres has survived to this day almost in the same form in which it was built 800 years ago. The two towers of Chartres Cathedral are strikingly different from each other. The 113-meter North Tower rises on an ancient Gothic base and has an openwork spire decorated with intricate stone lace. The south tower, 105 meters high, is topped by a simple Romanesque spire in the shape of a pyramid. The facade of the cathedral is “carved” with bas-reliefs, and the interior is decorated with sculptures carved from stone.

North porch of Charts Cathedral

In total, there are 10,000 sculptural compositions in Notre-Dame de Chartres. Inside the cathedral there are colored stained glass windows of the 12th-13th centuries. The ensemble of Chartres stained glass windows is absolutely unique: 146 windows depict 1,359 different scenes. They tell about biblical events and about the lives of people of all classes - kings, knights, artisans, peasants. Apart from the large stained glass windows on the main façade's window roses and transepts, the most famous is the stained glass window depicting Our Lady in her vestment in a unique shade, "Chartres blue".

Chartres Cathedral (France) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Its own shade of blue, a mysterious giant labyrinth on the floor and one of the most revered Christian relics - the shroud of the Virgin Mary - few cathedrals in the world can boast such a collection of unique features. But the soul and symbol of the city of Chartres - Chartres Cathedral - succeeded. The incredible Gothic masterpiece was included in the UNESCO List in 1979 and annually attracts thousands of tourists under its flying arches.

A little history

Since the 9th century, on the site of the current cathedral there have been churches in which the Shroud of the Mother of God was kept. The first cathedral was built at the beginning of the 11th century, but very soon it burned down, giving way to a Romanesque-style temple, which, however, suffered the same fate twice. The construction of the modern cathedral began at the end of the 12th century, and almost all of France voluntarily took part in the work. The opening of the temple took place in 1260 under King Louis IX. It is noteworthy that since then the appearance of Chartres Cathedral has not undergone virtually any changes, apart from minor restorations in modern times.

What to see

Acquaintance with Chartres Cathedral traditionally begins from the outside - its majestic soaring towers literally take your breath away. By the way, a certain asymmetry is not an optical illusion at all: the tower to the right of the entrance rises 105 meters, and the left - by as much as 113. In addition, the style of the towers differs: the right one was built in an elegant and strict Romanesque style, and the left one - in the “spiky” flaming gothic style.

While on the square in front of the cathedral, it is also impossible not to pay attention to the magnificent Gothic rosette, the space between the stone carvings of which is filled with stained glass windows. In addition to the rosette, the astronomical clock on the southern façade, placed there in the 16th century, also deserves attention. Nowadays they show only the time, but until the end of the 18th century, when the mechanism, alas, broke down, they also provided information about the day of the week, month, time of sunrise and sunset, phases of the moon and the current zodiac sign.

Superstructures of antiquity: Chartres Cathedral

Having examined the facades of Chartres Cathedral, it’s time to rush inside - it’s no less interesting here. To begin with, you should pay attention to the impressive expanses of the central aisle - this is the widest nave among all cathedrals in France and admire the play of sunlight passing through the stained glass windows on the columns and floor of the temple.

The shade of blue on the stained glass windows of the cathedral received its own name - “Chartres blue”, and the secret of obtaining it has not yet been solved.

In general, stained glass windows are considered the most unique attribute of Chartres Cathedral - their total area exceeds 2000 square meters. m, and the number is more than 170. Moreover, the oldest of them date back to the time of construction of the cathedral - the 12th century. By the way, you can trace the entire biblical history through the stained glass windows - to do this, you need to look at them from bottom to top, from left to right from the main entrance.

While in the Chartres Cathedral, you must in no case forget to look at your feet: a huge labyrinth is laid out on the floor, symbolizing the path of a believer to God, from which you can “get out” only in one way, the length of which is 294 meters. By the way, pilgrims still use walking through the labyrinth as an element of meditation.

You can explore the surrounding area by climbing one of the cathedral towers.

- the main attraction of the small town of Chartres in the Eure-et-Loire department, located 90 kilometers southwest. However, this is one of the main attractions of the whole. Not even that: the temple, like the famous one dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Notre-Dame de Chartres), can rightfully be called a national shrine.

Within its walls, which have not been destroyed or rebuilt over the centuries, and have survived to this day in amazingly well-preserved form, the Shroud of the Virgin Mary is still kept - the clothing in which she gave birth to Jesus Christ.

To a traveler approaching the city, the cathedral appears immediately: like some kind of miracle, a revelation. Two powerful bell towers and the main building, as if blurred in the summer haze, are an excellent landmark that will not let you go astray - right on the course is Chartres! The temple stands on a hill, the city spreads out beneath it, as if it had fallen on its face.

Chartres Cathedral, built in record time (founded in 1194 - finishing completed in 1260), is an organic fusion of two architectural styles: Romanesque and the Gothic that replaced it. The southern bell tower is designed in Romanesque style: it is devoid of decorations and rises 105 meters into the sky. On the contrary, the northern, 113-meter bell tower is a striking example of Gothic: its pointed arches and openwork spire already hint that the harsh ascetic stage of the Middle Ages is a thing of the past.

The main facade of the temple is amazingly beautiful: from the original rose, not as patterned as on the side facades, to the three-arched entrance portal. Each door arch is framed by columns in the form of statues of saints and prophets, painted with incredible, simply documentary accuracy.

Many experts believe that the Tabernacle Cathedral is the most magnificent example of Gothic church architecture in the world. This, of course, will be argued with in both England and Germany, and the Amiens Cathedral in France will not remain aloof.

Inside, Chartres Cathedral also seriously amazes the imagination: the understanding that you are in a container of something incredibly beautiful comes immediately. Huge columns supporting a pointed ceiling that disappears in height, incredibly thin stone carvings on the walls, a half-labyrinth testifying to how difficult man’s path to God is, and amazingly rich colors on the stained glass windows, the secret of production of which has long been lost - here you can get lost and listen to yourself and the world for hours.

How to get there: train from Montparnasse station (Gare Montparnasse) in Paris (about an hour), by car highways A10 and A11
Official site:

western façade

Chartres Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in the city of Chartres, prefecture of the department of Eure et Loire. It is located 90 km southwest of Paris and is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture. In 1979, the cathedral was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city of Chartres was founded on the site of Celtic settlements, which eventually came under Roman influence. Christianity was officially adopted in Chartres around 350 AD.

At the site of the cathedral there was originally a church and a bishop's house. The remains of Roman walls at the base of the cathedral indicate that it was built on the site of pagan rituals.

By that time, the city had expanded to the boundaries that it subsequently occupied until the nineteenth century.

View of the southern facade of the building

Construction of the new cathedral began immediately after the fire. Donations poured in from all over France. On a wave of enthusiasm, city residents worked for free in the quarries.

The design of the previous building was taken as a basis, into which the surviving parts of the old building were inscribed. Compared to other Gothic churches that were built over centuries, Chartres Cathedral was created in record time.