The early cathedral is believed to have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At that time, she had not reached the elevated status in Western theology that she was to hold in the Middle Ages and later. The records of the reign of King Pepin the Short (ruled from AD751 - 768) show that he gave some gifts to the church at Chartres, which is referred to as `the Church of St Mary.'
We can only speculate what the early cathedral at Chartres looked like. There are no remaining drawings or diagrams, or any notable descriptions. However, it probably resembled existing simple churches - built in the Carolingian style - using stone and a great deal of wood. The use of wood made buildings very vulnerable to fires, and it is likely that the early cathedral was burnt down partially or wholly more than once during the fourth and fifth centuries.
