Notre-Dame cathedral of Chartres

See also: Notre-Dame

The Notre-Dame cathedral of Chartres is the most famous monument of Chartres, prefecture of the department of Eure-et-Loir, located at 80 kilometers in the south-west of Paris. She is regarded as one of the most perfect Gothic buildings.

Current the Cathedral, of Gothic architecture, was built at the beginning of the 13th century, for the major part in 30 years, on the ruins of a preceding Romance cathedral , destroyed at the time of a fire in 1194.

One easily recognizes the Notre-Dame cathedral of Chartres because of great difference between his two turns: the northern tower has a base of the Gothic type old (with Contrefort and little opening), overcome of a blazing later arrow (the 15th century); on the other hand, the southern tower, equipped with a typically Gothic base, is surmounted by a very simple arrow.

Great place of Pilgrimage, this cathedral and its turns dominate the town of Chartres and the plain of the Beauce around. They realize with several tens of kilometers of distance. The cathedral was the first listed monument with the world heritage by UNESCO in 1979.

History

Henri IV was only the King de France crowned in this cathedral and not with Rheims according to the tradition.

Paris was indeed held by the catholics, who opposed their resistance to the king because of his Protestant religion. It is on this occasion that the monarch would have pronounced the famous sentence: “Paris is worth a mass” . It converts and was crowned king de France; consequently, the catholics went gradually.

Construction

The cathedral was built by semi-skilled workers, called Compagnon S, brought together as brotherhoods or fraternities. At this period, there existed three fraternities: children of the Soubise Father, children of Jacques Master, and Children of Solomon related to the Order of the Temple.

The latter left on the stones or the beams, some signs engraved which are their signatures.

The directing layouts, of invoice Duodecimal E, the construction of its plan were directly carried out thanks to the Corde with thirteen nodes, one of the tools of the companions builders.

One can see there several unusual symbols such as the signs of the zodiac.

Large the pink is one of largest world (13.36m of diameter)

Some figures

  • Length: 130 meters

  • Width: 32/46 meters
  • Nave: 37 meters height; width: 16,40 meters
  • 176 canopies
  • Fence of the chorus: 200 Statue S

Carved gates

Royal gate (Western frontage)

The Western frontage constitutes the principal main door of the religious building. Framed by two turns, it presents an important carved program: 24 large statues (it remains about it 19 today) and more than 300 figures form a decoration harmonizes some with the architecture of the cathedral. The decoration behind the statues represents last fires of the Romance Style: Interlacing, posts, sheets of acanthus testifies to the southernmost influences.

Northern gate

The northern porch is also called " gate of Alliance". Its Statue S was carried out between 1205 and 1210. They represent scenes of the Old Testament and life of the Virgin Mary. The Voussure S of central bay evoke the episodes of the Genèse. The bay of right-hand side takes again the topic of work and the days, as well as Liberal arts.

Southern gate

Also called " gate of Église" , it puts in scene the Last Judgment (central tympanum). Are also illustrated the confessors (gate of right-hand side), the Apôtre S and the Martyr S (left gate).

Stained glasses

The cathedral of Chartres has the most important unit glazed of the 13th century, remarkably preserved so far (in particular its blue inimitable). There is the remarkable number of 176 stained glasses (small pinks included/understood), on a surface of 2.600 m ². For the majority, they represent holy Saint S and or characters of the Bible: (Noah, Joseph, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal sons…) but also of the Golden Legend of Jacques de Voragine (Dominican Italian of the 13th century).

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