Capital of the Gallic tribe of the Carnutes from which it takes its name, Chartres was one of the
main centers of the Druid religion. It retained its religious role in the Middle Ages, drawing pilgrims with the holy tunic that the Virgin was believed to have worn at the time of the Annunciation. The cathedral of Notre-Dame, symbol of this faith, pre
sents certain features of Romanesque architecture but is essentially a Gothic marvel, consecrated by St Louis in 1260. The nave, 136 meters (446 feet) long and 36 meters (118 feet) high, is illuminated by openings decorated with the most complete set of
stained-glass windows to have come down to us from the thirteenth century. The ôroyal portal,ö constructed between 1145 and 1170 and dedicated to the glorification of Christ, is a major work of the Middle Ages and presents an unforgettable sight, framed
by the \i old bell tower\i0 rising to a height of 106 meters (348 feet) and the \i new bell tower\i0 , whose spire (built at the beginning of the sixteenth century) reaches 115 meters (377 feet).\par
