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| The place where now stands Chartres cathedral already in prehistory was a sacred spot. The builders of megalite circles, such as Stonehenge, built a "dolmen" here. This was a earthen rampart surrounded by vertical stones and covered with a flat roofstone. Thus arose in the artificial hill, beside a source, a covered room which was considered to be an inexhaustible source of energy. Later on the Celts founded they mystery school on the site which became the centre of the spread of the Druid doctrine. By a prophetical vision the Druids became aware that a virgin would bear a child. They cutted a statue of this virgin with child from the trunk of a pear tree and placed it in the sanctuary. |
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The first Christians arriving in Chartres in the 3th century discovered the statue, now black of old age, and worshipped it as the Black Madonna. They were astonished finding a statue of Mary, made and worshipped by the local pagans before their arrival, but considered this a confirmation of their own doctrine. The dolmen was called "La Grotte des Druides" (the Druids cave) and the crypt was built around it. The source was called "La Source des Forts" (well of forces). All six churches which were successively built on the site were dedicated to Mary. Moreover they claimed the possession of Mary's tunica (underwear) which she wore giving birth to Jesus and which was saved in a miraculous way during the fire of 1194. Thanks to this relic, still present, in the middle ages Chartres became one of the most important stages of the pilgrimage excursion to Santiago Compostela. The first four churches were devastated by fire (in 743, 858, 962 and 1020), as well as the first cathedral in 1194. At the time of this last fire Chartres was the centre of a prosperous diocese, which owed its wealth especially to trade markets that were held on the four holidays of Mary: Birth, Annuncation, Candlemas and Assumption. Th Vertically the wall has three parts (arcade, triforium and window). The usual gallery, which had a constructive function in the wall (the relief of the sideward pressure of the roofs), was omitted. This function is taken over by the arcs. As first Gothic church one travee is repeated instead of the Romanesque double travee. By this two simplifications the wall looks more transparent and vertical than its predecessors. The arches are aproximately 36.5 m. high. The water level of the source lies 37 meters under the sacral heart, exactly under the highest point in the roof. |
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e construction of cathedrals was an expensive matter which was organised by the church, but in which the whole community contributted financially. That of Chartres was, even for medieval standards, exceptional expensive. Now the cathedral is a mixture of Gothic styles. During the fire of 1194 only the crypt, the western towers and the three portals in between were saved; they were built between 1134 and 1150 in a Romanesque-Gothic crossover style. The North West tower was built in 1140 as the very first Gothic tower, but in 1507 a Flamboyant-Gothic peak was added. Furthermore the walls to the north and the south side and the transept are from the early 13th century. Partly for practical reasons the design was simplified compared to earlier cathedrals: they wanted the church to be rebuilt as soon as possible.