Cathedral of Chartres

The Cathedral of Chartres ("Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres," French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 50 miles from Paris, is considered the finest example in all France of the "high Gothic" style of architecture.

Construction of a new building on the Romanesque foundations was begun in 1145, but a fire in 1194 destroyed all but the west front of the cathedral (and much of the town), so that part is in the "early Gothic" style. The body of the cathedral was rebuilt between 1205 and 1220, a remarkably short span for medieval cathedrals.

The cathedral has been inscribed by the UNESCO on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

External links

• http://www.diocesechartres.com/cathedrale/index.html (in French)
• http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Cathedrals/Chartres/Notre-Dame_Chartres.shtml (in English)
• http://www.johnjames.com.au/chartres-shorthistory.shtml (in English)