Chartres Cathedral Facts for Kids

Chartres cathedral, seen in full from the south.

Chartres Cathedral (French: Notre-Dame de Chartres, Our Lady of Chartres) is a cathedral. It is in Chartres, about 80 km south of Paris. It is built in the Gothic style. Together with Amiens Cathedral and Reims Cathedral it is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture (for churches) in France.

A church was inaugurated at the spot by Charles the Bald in the year 864. The cathedral as it stands now was built from 1194 to 1260. It was made a basilica minor in 1908. In 1964 it was made an World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Images for kids

Chartres Cathedral by night
The Coronation of Henry IV of France in the Cathedral on 27 February 1594
The 1836 fire of Chartres Cathedral by François-Alexandre Pernot (1837)
Inside the roof-space, the charpente de fer, built c. 1840
Window of the Vendôme Chapel, c.1415
Pythagoras on one of the archivolts over the right door of the west portal at Chartres
Chartres floorplan (1856) by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814–1879)
The elevation of the nave, showing the gallery on the ground level; the narrow triforium; and, on top, the windows of the clerestory
Flying buttresses supporting the upper walls and counterbalancing the outward thrust of the vaulted ceiling, allowing thin walls and greater space for windows
Flying buttresses seen from above
The vaults of the roof, connected by stone ribs to the pillars below, combined with the flying buttresses outside make possible thinner walls, and the great height and large windows of the Cathedral
The Flamboyant Gothic North Tower (finished 1513) (left) and older South Tower (1144–1150) (right)
Detail of the South Tower
Detail of the Flamboyant Gothic North Tower
The clock pavilion, with a 24-hour astronomical clock
Central tympanum of the Royal portal. Christ seated on a throne, surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists; a winged man for St. Matthew, a lion for St. Mark; a bull for St. Luke; and an eagle for St. John.
Jambs of the center doorway of the Royal Portal, with statues of the men and women of the Old Testament
West portal, tympanum of left door. It depicts Christ on a cloud, supported by two angels, above a row of figures representing the labours of the months and signs of the Zodiac
Saint Anne holding the infant Virgin Mary on the trumeau of the central portal of the north transept
The tympanum over the center portal of the north transept. On the lintel are the Dormition (Death) and Assumption of the Virgin. Above is the Coronation of the Virgin: Mary, in her living body, will rule the heavens alongside her Son Christ.
New Testament figures Simeon, John the Baptist, and Saint Peter, with his keys
Unidentified characters from the Old Testament
Christian Martyrs framing the South Portal (13th century); including the "Perfect Knight" Roland,(far left) and Saint George (second from right)
Central doorway of the South Portal, with column statue of Christ. His feet rest on a lion and a dragon.
The Apostles
Angel with a sundial on south facade
Gargoyle on the North Tower, serving as a rain spout
Detail of the South Tower, with statuary of Chimeras
Detail on the South Portal depicting angels looking down upon hell
Monsters and devils tempting Christians on the south portal
Notre Dame de Piliers statue and chapel off the nave
Fragment of a reputed veil of Virgin Mary, displayed in the Chapel of the Martyrs
Lancet windows under the west rose window; the Jesse Window or genealogy of Christ (right); Life of Christ (center), and the Passion of Christ (left)
Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verrière » or the Blue Virgin (c.1180 and 1225)
Detail of the Notre-Dame de la Belle-Verrière
The west rose window c. 1215
North transept rose window, c. 1235
South transept rose window, c. 1221–1230
Scene from the Good Samaritan window; Christ tells the Good Samaritan parable to the Pharisees
The Good Samaritan window
Shoemakers at work in the Good Samaritan window
The Well of the Saints Forts, in the Saint Fulbert Crypt
12th century fresco in the Saint Lubin Crypt, showing the Virgin Mary on her throne of wisdom, with the Three Kings to her right and Savinien and Potenien to her left
The altar (18th century) by Charles-Antoine Bridan
Sculpture on the choir screen (16th–18th century)
Chapel of Saint Piatus of Tournai, added in 1326 to the east of the apse
Labyrinth in the gardens of the bishop
Chapel of Saint Piatus of Tournai (left), apse of the cathedral and the old bishop's residence
Early stages of cleaning and restoring the Choir of Chartres Cathedral (2009–2019)

Chartres Cathedral facts for kids

Images for kids

See also