The first view of [M 001 / Chartres] across the Beauce Plains is of two delicate spires on the horizon, soaring above a small town. As the train from Paris draws into the station at Chartres, the sheer size of the [P 011 / cathedral] becomes clear. Set on a hill, it completely dominates the town.
Walking up the hill along one of the narrow winding streets, the cathedral comes in and out of view from behind the gables of tall houses which surround it. It is impossible to see all of it at once close up because the old houses are closely packed around it.
Standing in front of the [P 012 / west front], you can see both the steeples and one of the rose windows. This is one of the most complete close up views. You can walk up close to an individual figure and study the detail of a face or the fold of a robe, or step back and admire the height of the soaring columns and spires.
From the outside, the famous stained glass windows are dull and dark, with no hint of the incredible colors and light radiating from them inside. The stone is a light grey color. In late autumn the streets around the cathedral are quiet.
You push open the heavy wooden door in the north tower and catch the first sight of the darkened [P 002 / V 009 / interior], illuminated with colors of such intensity; of the tall elegant columns leading up to the high vaulted roof; of small chapels lit by candles set back from the main body of the [M 003 / cathedral]; of the length of the [G 22 / nave] and [G 08 / choir]. The air feels a little damp and musty after the clear air outside. The light is gentle, dim at ground level, and glowing with gorgeous colors at the level of the windows. Immediately you can feel the change in atmosphere: slightly austere, very elegant, rather serious and beautiful.
For the academic or the scholar of Gothic architecture, Chartres offers a vast amount to study. For the Christian, it is often a religious experience, the long-awaited pilgrimage to one of the foremost churches in France. For the casual visitor, it is a step back in time to the 12th and 13th centuries, a wonderful experience of unique architecture and atmosphere.
Chartres Cathedral is full of stories. The major purpose of its decoration both in sculpture and stained glass windows was to tell the stories of the Bible to those who visited it. Every last corner has a tale to tell, every pane of glass, every [P 015 / statue] and sculpture. These decorations were far more than embellishments. Kings, prophets, saints, martyrs, ordinary workers ploughing the fields, knights riding into battle, and hundreds of characters from the parables and other [P 020 / stories from the Bible] can be seen in stone and glass in Chartres.
It is worth stopping to think for a minute how these same few moments of stepping into the cathedral must have felt for a pilgrim in the 13th century. Imagine the impact for someone who had journeyed for many weeks from a small village, even possibly from another country, to see a cathedral which he had heard about from the tales of someone who had once known someone who had been there.
Imagine a life without photographs, when the only books were illuminated manuscripts not to be seen by ordinary people; when travel was slow and dangerous and education for most people was minimal; when people's lives and experiences were highly localized and very simple and their knowledge of the world was limited to what the church told them. This was a time when superstition dominated men's thoughts and religion was a controlling factor in their lives. A visit to Chartres Cathedral was a once in a lifetime experience for an ordinary person.
II. A BRIEF CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
The cathedral we can see today is the last of several churches built on the site. The first church was probably built in the fourth century. We know it was burnt in AD743 and that the second church was burnt in AD858. The ninth-century church, built under Bishop Gislebert, was also burnt in a fire in 1020. Only a small part of this church survives in today's cathedral and is known as [M 005 / Saint Lubin's Chapel] in the Crypt.
The majority of today's cathedral was built between 1194 and 1226, during the period of architecture which is known as Gothic. The royal [G 24 / portal] and the west rose window, the two towers and the south steeple, were all built during the 12th century, between 1134 and 1180. This period of architecture is known as [L3 301 / Romanesque]. Chartres is primarily a [L3 302 / Gothic] cathedral, but it has Romanesque foundations.
Fulbert, then Bishop of Chartres, organized the reconstruction of the cathedral after the fire in 1020. Fulbert's church, built in the Romanesque style of the day, was the basis for later cathedrals. Unfortunately, very little of this original church survived the fire of 1134. Fulbert had a [G 10 / crypt] constructed, with an [G 01 / ambulatory] around the martyrium, with three chapels and two galleries. Above the crypt, a large church was built which measured 354 feet in length and 112 feet in width.
The construction of [M 004 / churches] before and during the Middle Ages used a great deal of timber, especially in the roof and the towers. Candles were used to light the church and fires were common and often destroyed most or all of the building. In 1134, after a fire burnt the bell tower and the front [G 11 / facade], another church was constructed. The north tower was built, and shortly afterwards, work was continued on the south tower and its spire which rose to 344 feet. The royal portal was also built at this time between 1145 and 1155.
The year 1194 saw the worst fire yet, which destroyed most of Fulbert's church, leaving only the crypt, the north and south towers and the new facade. The enthusiasm of the people of Chartres, the gifts of the clergy and monarchs from France and other countries, helped to build the new church in a remarkably short time. Work was begun that same year.
By 1220, only 26 years later, the church had been built and the roof constructed. Because it was built so quickly, Chartres has the most unity of style of any of the Gothic cathedrals. We know nothing about the [G 21 / master mason] who built Chartres Cathedral, or his team of sculptors, but the speed with which they finished the main body of the cathedral and the roof is extremely impressive and suggests that hundreds of craftsmen and builders must have been employed on the project.
In the later 13th and early 14th centuries, the north tower was enlarged and the vestry built. Towards the end of the 13th century, the Arcade of Kings was built during the reign of Philip the Hardy (1270 - 1285). The [L3 303 / Saint Piat Chapel] was added in 1326, and it was here that the famous relics and treasure of the cathedral were kept which drew so many pilgrims from all over Europe.
The Vendome Chapel was built between 1413 and 1417, named after its benefactor, Louis of Bourbon, Count of Vendome. This chapel is interesting because of its different, more extravagant style: in keeping with the early 15th century, but not with the 12th and 13th century architecture.
A new spire was built between 1507 and 1513 by Jean Texier, who also built the beautiful [G 08 / choir] screen which was destroyed in the 18th century. Other changes made in the 18th century are still a mystery. Ideas of beauty change and the then current fashion allowed for much destruction of architecture and glass which was by that time nearly 400 years old. The pillars in the choir were covered with stucco design, the tapestries hanging on the walls behind the stalls were taken away and marble sculpting replaced them. The extravagant 18th-century altar, representing the Assumption of Mary in flowing robes surrounded by plump cherubs, was sculpted by Charles-Antoine Bridan between 1767 and 1773.
The final major event in the development of the cathedral was the fire in 1834 which destroyed the roof, two belfries and melted the bells. Miraculously, none of the precious glass was harmed and the rest of the building was not burnt. The timber roof was lost forever and an iron roof with a copper covering was put in.
III. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CHARTRES
Gothic architecture encompassed [P 016 / light, space and height]. The building techniques employed in Chartres Cathedral allowed these three factors to be taken further than ever before, making Chartres the model for future Gothic churches. Chartres Cathedral was more spacious, taller and allowed [P 009 / more light] inside the building than any other church before. [G 13 / Flying buttresses], which were first used in Notre-Dame de Paris, were used in the building of Chartres. This [I 005 / flying buttress technique] enabled far more window space to be used in the upper parts of the walls. The exterior of the cathedral appears quite heavy and bulky because of this building style. The [P 002 / interior] is unbelievably luminous, elegant, tall and delicate. The glass from the many windows glows with bright reds, blues, yellows and greens, casting dappled patterns on the grey stonework. Each window tells a different story. The [G 32 / vaults] were taken to a height which had not been reached before by builders, resulting in the cathedral being three stories high. The portals of the [G 30 / transepts] and their porches were far more elaborately decorated than before, with many large statues and tiny exquisitely detailed carvings, each of which was used to illustrate a story.
[L3 304 / The spires and towers] and [L3 305 / P 018 / V010 / the crypt] also have their own story. In the crypt, we find the oldest part of the cathedral, and a well that is believed to have been used in Druidic rituals. The towers were carefully moved after the fire of 1194, so they could be used in the new larger cathedral. The spires were built 400 years apart and are both considered architectural masterpieces of their time.
IV. THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF CHARTRES
The brightness of the colors, the quality of the radiating light and the beauty of the pictures in each window make the [P 013 / glass in Chartres] probably the most perfect of its kind anywhere in the world. [L3 306 / V 005 / The making of the glass] took place in the town of Chartres. Most of the glass is 13th century, except [L3 307 / the three lancet windows above the royal portal]. [P 001 / The Blue Virgin window] also incorporates a 13th-century window in the south [G 01 / ambulatory].
It was in the church of St Denis just outside Paris that the extensive use of brightly colored stained glass windows was first seen. It was here that the method of using the minimal amount of wall and the maximum amount of glass was first experimented with. Suger believed very strongly that real understanding of the scriptures could be found by studying the beautiful stained glass, lit from outside by the sun and inside with candles. By reading the stories of the Bible in the medium of the stained glass window, a person could both understand the story and find a truth illustrated there.
Chartres Cathedral has often been likened to a Gothic library - an instruction in all the stories from the Bible; the history of the church, of the city and its cathedral, of learning, and of the life-cycles of the world. Each window tells a story in simple pictures, read from the bottom of the window to the top. [L3 308 / The rose windows], the south rose, the [P 006 / north rose] and the great west rose, are celebrations of the triumph of Christ and the Virgin Mary. [L3 309 / The south aisle windows] tell the story of [L3 310 / P 008 / Mary Magdalene], [L3 311 / Saint John], [L3 312 / I 008&I009 / the Good Samaritan, Adam and Eve] and [L3 313 / the Assumption of Mary.] In [L3 314 / the north aisle windows], the stories of [L3 315 / I 006&I007 / Noah], [L3 316 / P 010 / Joseph], and [L3 317 / the Redemption] can be found. In [L3 318 / the transept and ambulatory windows], the narration continues, telling the stories of the saints, the martyrs and some of the parables, including [L3 319 / the life of Charlemagne], and [L3 320 / the parable of the Prodigal Son] in the north transept. The stories generally follow the bible text and similar illustrations can be found in stained glass windows in other parts of Europe. It seems that glass designers must have traveled around Europe, teaching their trade to glassmakers in other cities.
The windows were generally donated by individuals or by groups of people, often merchant guilds. The subject of the window was usually associated with the nature of the merchant guild, for example the Carpenters' Guild donated a window telling the story of Noah, who was their patron. The donator was featured in the window, either in person or showing their trade, usually in the bottom panes of the window. In this way, people who donated windows both helped to create a beautiful cathedral and preserved their names in glass for hundreds of years.
Chartres Cathedral was dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and this dedication is represented again and again in the statues and the stained glass windows. The cathedral was Mary's earthly kingdom and it was built by the medieval French clergy for this purpose. The three [G 24 / portals] were the gates to Mary's earthly kingdom, decorated with hundreds of statues. The Book of Revelations was the most important inspiration for the building of Chartres Cathedral. The 'Celestial City,' prophesied in Revelations, would glow, 'garnished with all manner of precious stones' (Rev. 21:19). The [P 014 / stained glass windows of Chartres] glowed with bright colors, as if they were precious stones.
V. THE SCULPTURE OF CHARTRES
In medieval times, when the main part of Chartres Cathedral was built, [V 007 / sculpture] was as much a medium for storytelling as for decoration. In each section of the cathedral where we find statues or sculpted decoration, particularly in [L3 321 / the royal
portal], [L3 322 / P 026 / the south portal] and [L3 323 / the north portal], [P 023 / a story is told].
The portals were designed as the entrance to Mary's earthly kingdom, and were decorated with statues leading the way into her church. Each group of statues tells a story, and the whole portal presents a theme which is taken up in the corresponding windows inside the cathedral.
Chartres' stained glass and sculpture has the most complete medieval iconographic record still intact today, most of which was built between 1200 and 1225. The whole history of mankind, from the story of Adam and Eve to the Last Judgement is told in the portals, the rose windows and many of the other [G 19 / lancet] and oculus windows.
The statues vary from larger than lifesize to tiny intricate details. Sculptors learnt their trade in sculptors' guild associations, perfecting their art over several decades. The best of them moved around the country, or even to other countries, to work on the new cathedral or castle of the day.
Sculpture from the 12th and 13th centuries is significantly different in both style and tone. The figures of the 12th century, found mainly in the royal portal (the west front entrance), are much more static, more stylized and less lifelike than those sculpted in the 13th century. Another difference is the way the subjects are portrayed. In the 12th century, western Christian theology did not encompass the emphasis on the wickedness of Man and the suffering he would undergo if he was thrown into hell after the Last Judgement.
The 12th century was the age of the Crusades, a time of great hope and confidence. The [P 025 / royal portal] does not have any reference to suffering, either of Man or Christ, and the Crucifixion is left out of the story of Christ sculpted in the [G 03 / archivolts] of this 12th century portal. By the 13th century, suffering was an important part of the church's teaching and it was therefore portrayed vividly in art and sculpture.
