CHARTRES CATHEDRAL
The French medieval Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, is a cathedral located in Chartres, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris, is considered one of the finest examples of the French Gothic style. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1193 and 1250, is one of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the 4th century.
What makes the cathedral special from an artistic viewpoint is its exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. Overall, the building has more than 150 medieval stained glass windows, most of the thirteenth century, providing a magnificent lighting effect inside the temple.
The west front, called Royal Portico, is especially important due to a series of sculptures of the mid-12th century. The main entrance contains a magnificent relief of Jesus Christ glorified. The transept is organized around images of the New Testament, which tell the Last Judgment, while the opposite doorway, is dedicated to the Old Testament and the advent of Christ and stands the impressive quality of the sculptural group dedicated to the Creation.
The interior impresses both by the 37 meters in height that reaches the nave, as the harmony and elegant proportions, although, unfortunately, has already lost most of the original statues (the altarpiece of the Crucifixion was demolished in the 18th century).
Since at least the 12th century the cathedral has been an important destination for travellers - and remains so to this day - attracting large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of whom come to venerate its famous relic, the "Sancta Camisa", said to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ's birth, as well as large numbers of secular tourists who come to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
