What is Chartres Cathedral famous for?

Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, located in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, is one of the most authentic and complete works of religious architecture of the early 13th century. It was the destination of a pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary, among the most popular in all medieval Western Christianity.

Who was the architect of Chartres Cathedral?

As the cathedral was rebuilt, the famous west rose window was installed between the two towers (13th century), and in 1507, the architect Jean Texier (also sometimes known as Jehan de Beauce) designed a spire for the north tower, to give it a height and appearance closer to that of the south tower.

Who built the Chartres cathedral built?

Bishop Fulbert
Tenacious Bishop Fulbert built the lower church in Romanesque style from 1020 to 1024, still visible today. The consecration of the new Romanesque cathedral took place on 7 October 1037, after Fulbert’s death.

What are the characteristics of Chartres Cathedral?

The cathedral represents the true prototype of the Gothic cathedral characterized by a longitudinal body with a nave and two aisles and an elevation on three levels – arcade, triforium, clerestory – crossed by a short transept and ending in a deep presbytery with ambulatory and radiating chapels.

When was the Chartres cathedral built and finished?

1252
Chartres Cathedral/Opened

When did the Chartres Cathedral burn down?

The presence of a cathedral in the city is first attested in historical records in 743 when the Duke of Aquitaine sacked the city and destroyed it. The people of Chartres built a new one, but unfortunately, it lasted only a century and was burnt down when the Viking leader Hastings torched the city in 858.

Why are the towers of Chartres Cathedral different?

Many people ask why the two Chartres cathedral towers are asymmetric. You can see clearly from the west front that the two towers have different styles. Those two bell towers were built in different eras – on the north is a Flamboyant Gothic style while on the south is a Romanesque style.

What is the largest cathedral in France?

The Amiens Cathedral
The Amiens Cathedral: largest cathedral in France.