Page 182 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

180  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

u Chartres Cathedral

According to art historian Emile Male, “Chartres is the mind of
the Middle Ages manifest.” Begun in 1020, the Romanesque
cathedral was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1194. Only
the north and south towers, south steeple, west portal, and
crypt remained. Inside, the sacred Veil of the Virgin relic was
the sole treasure to survive. Peasant and lord
alike labored to rebuild the church in just 25
years. Few alterations were made after 1250 Elongated
Statues
and, fortunately, Chartres was left unscathed These statues
by the Wars of Religion and the French on the Royal
Revolution. The result is an authentic Gothic Portal
cathedral. A program of renovation is ongoing represent Old
and may result in partial closures. Testament
figures.

Gothic Nave
As wide as the Romanesque crypt below
it – the largest in France – the Gothic nave
reaches a lofty height of 37 m (121 ft).
KEY
1 The taller of the two spires
dates from the start of the 16th
century. Flamboyant and Gothic in
style, it contrasts sharply with the
solemnity and relative simplicity of
its Romanesque counterpart.
2 The stained-glass windows on
the west front, are 12th-century lancet
windows. They are celebrated for
their rare blue color, and are among
the oldest of their kind in the world.
3 The Royal Portal (1145–55) and
part of the west front survive from
the original Romanesque church. The
central tympanum has a carving of
Christ in Majesty.
4 The Labyrinth is inlaid in the
nave floor. Pilgrims used to follow the
tortuous route by crawling on their
knees, echoing the Way of the Cross.
5 The vaulted ceiling is supported
by a network of ribs.
6 The St. Piat Chapel was built
between 1324 and 1353.

For hotels and restaurants see pp206–8 and pp209–11

180-181_EW_Europe.indd 180 14/07/16 10:14 am