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 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 stained glass windows of Chartres glowed with bright colors, as if they were precious stones.
