Chartres Travel Guide

 MM212 Says:  The only remaining vestige from the wall that once enclosed the Cathedral is this lone arched gateway sandwiched between two buildings. Known as la Port Saint-Yves, this gateway was built along with the rest of the enclosure in 1327 to isolate the Cathedral and the monks... 

 MM212 Says:  Older than the northern façade by 3 years (i.e. completed in 1227), the southern façade of the transept is very similar in style. Its central features are also the intricately carved triple arched portal and the large rose window above it, which vary slightly in style from... 

 MM212 Says:  An elaborately decorated triple arched Gothic portal and a magnificent rose window are the central features of the northern façade of the Transept of the Cathedral of Chartres. It was completed around 1230 AD, only a few years after the southern façade. The three arches... 

 MM212 Says:  Built in the 12th century and expanded in the 14th, Église Saint-André has conserved many of its original Romanesque details. Most impressive is its triple arched portal on the façade with typical Romanesque carvings. The 14th century renovation added the Gothic details such... 

 MM212 Says:  Known as Maison de la Voûte (House of the Vault) because of its interior vaulted arches, this edifice is among the oldest surviving in Chartres. It was built in the 12th century as a warehouse for salt, an important commodity in those days. Beautiful Gothic windows decorate... 

 MM212 Says:  Once a grand Romanesque edifice, the former church, Église Sainte-Foy, is nowadays a fraction of its original size. A lone portal with beautiful Romanesque features is all that is left of the original façade, and stands as a reminder of the extent of the original structure.... 

 MM212 Says:  No other Mediaeval cathedral in Europe has conserved as many of its original stained glass windows as has the Notre-Dame de Chartres. These windows - 176 in total light up the interior - constitute one of its most celebrated features. The triple lancet windows in the western... 

 MM212 Says:  Measuring 130 metres in length, 46 metres in width, and 37 metres in height, the interior of la Cathédrale de Chartres ranks among the largest cathedrals in France, even larger than la Notre-Dame de Paris. Although the foundation, crypt and floor plan belonged to its... 

 MM212 Says:  Raised between the years 1134 and 1160, the main façade of la Cathédrale de Chartres predates the body of the structure. It belonged to the previous Romanesque-style Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 1194, but this western façade and its two towers miraculously... 

 MM212 Says:  Soaring majestically above the city of Chartres and the surrounding fields, la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres is one of the most important in France. Its significance is not only due to its massive size, measuring 130 metres in length and 115 metres in height (i.e.,... 

 MM212 Says:  Thought to have been used for worship since Gallo-Roman times, the site of the Cathedral of Chartres saw five other churches precede the current structure. The earliest paleo-Christian church, dating from around the 4th century AD, was destroyed by the Visigoths in the 8th... 

 MM212 Says:  Among the more important sites in Chartres is the Abbey of Saint-Pierre and its Gothic church. The complex was founded in 650 AD by la Reine Bathilde, wife of King Clovis II, but rebuilt several times thereafter. Its main church, Église Saint-Pierre, was completely rebuilt... 

 MM212 Says:  This Gothic castle-like structure, located just east of the Cathedral, is Chapelle Saint-Piat. It was built in 1325 as a stand-alone structure and connected to the apse of the Cathedral by a passage two decades later. Its lower level contains the tombs of the bishops, while... 

 MM212 Says:  Attached to the northern tower of the Cathedral, this Renaissance-style sunclock was designed and built by Jehan de Beauce, the same architect who designed the northern tower. It was completed in 1520 and was the clock that dictated when the bells of the cathedral would... 

 MM212 Says:  This A-shaped building is known both as Parloir aux Bourgeois and Perron des Trois-Rois. It was built in the 13th century and contains an original timber roof within the A-frame. The building was the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) from 1571 until 1792, when the function was... 

 MM212 Says:  Located around the chevet of Cathedral are the terraced gardens of the bishops of Chartres. In recent years, the gardens have been turned into a public park where one could enjoy panoramic views over la basse ville, the lower part of the city of Chartres. Previously, they... 

 MM212 Says:  The River Eure is a minor river in northwestern France. It drains the hills west of Chartres and passes through the city, where it forms a river island, before joining the River Seine further north. The navigable river provided the city with a means of transportation and...