|[L2 201]c. 400BC The land around the area of Chartres is populated by native tribes who form small farming communities.
|390BC The Gauls, a tribe who will eventually settle in France, capture Rome.
|[L2 202]c. 300BC It is believed that an early Druid settlement is likely to have existed in the Chartres area.
|50BC - AD350 ROMAN CHARTRES
|[L2 203]122 - 50BC The Roman conquest of Gaul.
|[L2 204]c. 100BC Chartres, named Autricum by the Romans, is built on the River Eure.
|[M 007]AD21 The Romans crush a Gallic uprising. The Romanization of Gaul gets underway.
|c. AD276 The Germanic invasions of Gaul begin. Germanic tribes sweep across Europe from the east to the west.
|[L2 205]c. AD300 Christianity reaches Chartres. St Adventinus is the first recorded bishop of Chartres. The first cathedral is built shortly afterwards.
|AD350 - AD450 THE END OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
|c. AD350 The [G 15 / Franks] and the Alemanni, two Germanic tribes, invade Gaul.
|c. AD406 The Vandals, a Germanic tribe, invade Gaul.
|[L2 206]5th century The Romans continue to rule a weakening empire. The Franks settle in eastern and central France. Childeric, the Frankish king rules the Frankish Kingdom. He is succeeded by his son, Clovis I, in c.481.
|AD461 - AD768 THE MEROVINGIANS
|c. AD500 Clovis I is converted to Christianity. Amongst his teachers is Solemnis, Bishop of Chartres.
|AD511 Adventinus II, Bishop of Chartres, is present at the [G 14 / First Council of] [G 14 / Orleans], a major conference of the Western Christian Church.
Clovis I dies and partitions his kingdom between his four sons. The region including Chartres is ruled by Childebert. When the brothers die, the land is further partitioned. This results in continuous fighting between the different parts of the Frankish Kingdom.
|AD550 St Lubin, the Bishop of Chartres, attends the Fifth Council of Orleans.
|AD558 Chlotar I succeeds in reuniting the Frankish Kingdom. It is partitioned again on his death in AD561 amongst his four sons. During the next 150 years, the disunification and fighting weakens the kingdom and land is lost to other tribes.
|[M 008][L2 207]AD716 - 740 Charles Martel, who is related to the Merovingian dynasty, reunites the Frankish Kingdom.
|AD743 Chartres is attacked and looted by Hunald, Duke of Aquitaine, and Chartres Cathedral is destroyed.
|AD747 Pepin III (known as Pepin the Short), a son of Charles Martel, is crowned King of the [G 15 / Franks] with the support of the papacy. During his reign (until AD768), he consolidates the Frankish Kingdom.
|c. AD760 Pepin the Short, King of the Frankish Kingdom, donates gifts to Chartres Cathedral indicating its growing importance in France.
|AD768 - AD887 THE CAROLINGIANS
|[L2 208]c. AD800 Charlemagne, one of France's greatest early kings, is crowned Emperor of the Franks.
|AD858 Vikings sack Chartres and burn the cathedral.
|[L2 209][V 006]AD876 Charles the Bald gives the [G 29 / Sancta] [G 29 / Camisia], a sacred relic, to Chartres Cathedral.
|[L2 210]AD911 Chartres is under siege from the Viking, Rollon.
|AD980 - 1250 THE GREAT AGE OF CHARTRES
|[L2 211]c. AD980 Fulbert, one of the greatest thinkers and teachers of his age, first comes to Chartres.
|AD987 Hugh Capet, a prince of the Carolingian dynasty is elected King of the Western Frankish Kingdom. He is the founder of the Capetian Dynasty which will eventually rule France until 1328.
|1006 Fulbert is made Bishop of Chartres.
|[L2 212]1020 A great fire destroys a large part of the cathedral. Fulbert organizes the rebuilding of the new cathedral.
|[V 002]c. 1100 Chartres is already a great center of learning and a popular pilgrimage destination.
|1134 A fire destroys the west porch and [G 04 / belfry].
|1180 - 1214 The French king, Philip Augustus, wins back land from the English Plantagenet kings.
|[L2 213][V 008]1194 A serious fire destroys most of Chartres city and the cathedral is badly burnt. Construction of a new larger cathedral is begun. Most of the cathedral is completed by 1220.
|1210 King Philip Augustus visits Chartres.
|[V 003]1226 - 1270 The reign of Louis IX, a great patron of the arts. The decoration and much of the sculpture of the cathedral is completed during his reign.
|1270 -1285 The reign of King Philip the Hardy, a great building enthusiast. The Arcade of Kings on the West Front is completed during his reign.
|1250 - 1500 THE LATER MIDDLE AGES
|1245 - 1248 [G 28 / Sainte Chapelle], a beautiful church in Paris is built by Louis IX, further developing the techniques of building which are used in Chartres Cathedral.
|1260 Chartres Cathedral is consecrated and named the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady.
|1324 - 1327 The St Piat Chapel at the [G 01 / Ambulatory] end of the cathedral is built.
|[L2 214]1337 - 1450 The Hundred Years War with England. Chartres city is occupied by the English for 15 years.
|1347 - 1450 The [G 05 / Black Death], a terrible plague, devastates Europe.
|1417 Louis de Bourbon begins building the Vendome Chapel in Chartres Cathedral.
|1429 King Charles VII of France recaptures Orleans, helped by Joan of Arc. Charles is anointed in [G 25 / Reims Cathedral].
|1453 The end of the Hundred Years War.
|1500 - 1645 CHARTRES IN THE AGE OF THE REFORMATION
|[P022]1507 Jehan de Beauce is commissioned to build a new stone steeple in the northwest tower of the cathedral.
|[L2 215]1519 The Protestant Reformation spreads from Germany to France and Lutheran works arrive in Paris.
|1514 - 1529 Jehan de Beauce builds the [G 08 / choir] screen, a beautifully sculptured piece of architecture.
|C. 1560 Calvinism, the Protestant religion formulated by the Swiss cleric, John Calvin, is well established in France.
|1562 The Edict of January is signed, an agreement which gives some toleration to [G 33 / Huguenots].
|1562 - 1598 The wars of religion in France between Catholics and Protestants dominate the second half of the 16th century. Chartres emerges unharmed after four decades of fighting.
|1572 3,000 Huguenots are massacred in Paris on the eve of St Bartholemew's Day.
|1594 Henry IV is crowned King of France in Chartres Cathedral.
|1598 The Edict of Nantes is signed, an agreement giving religious freedom to the Huguenots.
|1610 - 1643 Marie de Medici rules France for Louis XIII, who is still a minor.
|1645 - 1760 THE AGE OF LOUIS XIV, LOUIS XV AND LOUIS XVI
|1648 - 1653 Different factions of the French nobility fight. These civil disturbances are known as the Frondes.
|1685 The Edict of Nantes, which gave toleration to the [G 33 / Huguenots], is revoked by Louis XIV.
|1760 - 1815 THE AGE OF THE REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON
|[L2 216]1773 The Assumption high altar in Chartres Cathedral is sculpted in 1773 and 12 windows in the [G 08 / choir] and [G 30 / transept] are taken out to allow more light in to fall on the new altar.
|1787 The Protestant clergy are given civil rights.
|1789 The French Revolution begins. Cathedral treasure is stolen. During the period known as `[G 34 / the terror],' Chartres Cathedral is made a `temple of reason.'
|1791 The Pope condemns the principles of the Revolution and the Civil Constitution of the clergy.
Louis XVI is executed.
|1793 Our Lady of the Crypt wooden statue, one of the treasures of Chartres, is burnt outside the cathedral.
|1799 Napoleon comes to power.
|1800 The cathedral is used to celebrate Mass again and is once more called the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres.
|1801 The Concordat Agreement is signed with the Pope, recognizing the Roman Catholic Church in France again.
|1815 Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo by an allied army of the British, Dutch, Belgians and Germans. He goes into exile and Louis XVIII is restored to the throne of France.
|1815 - 1914 CHARTRES IN DEVELOPING FRANCE
|1834 A fire in the cathedral destroys some of the wooden carvings over the transept, choir and [G 22 / nave].
|1848 A popular revolution against King Louis Philippe and his government forces him to abdicate. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, and sometimes called Napoleon III, is elected President of the French Republic.
|1852 Louis Napoleon Bonaparte makes himself Emperor of the French following a coup against the French Parliament.
|1870 The Franco-Prussian War takes place in which France is defeated by Prussia. Napoleon Bonaparte resigns.
|1914 - 1992 CHARTRES IN THE MODERN WORLD
|1914 - 1918 World War I is fought in Europe. France is used as one of the major battlegrounds and the French suffer massive loss of life. The priceless stained glass is removed from Chartres Cathedral and stored to protect it during the war. Both the town and the cathedral of Chartres escape the war with very little damage.
|1939 The outbreak of World War II. The glass is removed from Chartres cathedal a second time. Chartres city suffers little damage during the war.
|1940 The Nazis invade France. An Armistice is signed with Germany and a pro-German government is set up.
|1944 The liberation of France by the Allies.
|1945 The end of World War II. Charles de Gaulle is elected President of France.
|[V 004]1968 The cleaning and restoration of the glass is begun.
|[M 001]1992 The population of the city of Chartres is 42,000. The city is visited by over one million tourists every year.
