Chartres-dsc01172

Nice view of the French countryside

Nice view of the French countryside

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"Chartres" - Google News

The Road to Chartres - First Things
Vatican Could Reportedly Restrict Latin Mass for Chartres Pilgrimage, French Media Claims - EWTN Vatican
French bishop denounces euthanasia as contradicting ‘immemorial law’: ‘You shall not kill’ - Catholic News Agency
On the Recent Statement from the Chartres Pilgrimage | District of the USA - SSPX.org
Chartres pilgrimage draws attention to Traditional Latin Mass - Catholic Star Herald
The Chartres Pilgrimage Continues to Grow Amid Liturgical Tensions - National Catholic Register
"Standing on the Shoulders of Giants": Revisiting Bernard of Chartres’ Metaphor and Its Hidden Legacy - Medievalists.net
Why young people love the Chartres pilgrimage - The Catholic Herald
Tradition at its Finest: Dazzling Success for the Chartres 2025 Pilgrimage - The European Conservative

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<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/nikonpaul/">D200-PAUL</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54877926659/" title="Central and Doorway of the Royal Portal, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54877926659_91a4cbd77a_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="Central and Doorway of the Royal Portal, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France" /></a></p>

<p><b>Details best viewed in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54877926659/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Original Size</a>. </b><br />
<br />
The cathedral has three great portals or entrances, opening into the nave, one from the west and two into the transepts from north and south. The portals are richly decorated with sculptures, which rendered biblical stories and theological ideas visible for both the educated clergy and lay folk who may not have had access to textual learning. One of the few parts of the cathedral to survive the 1194 fire, the Royal Portal was integrated into the new cathedral. Opening on to the large square in front of the cathedral where markets were held, the two lateral doors of the Royal Portal would have been the first entry point for most visitors to Chartres, as they remain today. However, the central door is only opened for the entry of processions on major festivals, of which the most important is the Adventus or installation of a new bishop. The jamb statues are affixed to the columns flanking the doorways – tall, slender standing figures of kings and queens from whom the Royal Portal derived its name. Although in the 18th and 19th century these figures were mistakenly identified as the Merovingian monarchs of France (thus attracting the ire of Revolutionary iconoclasts), they almost certainly represent the kings and queens of the Old Testament – another standard iconographical feature of Gothic portals.<br />
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, otherwise known as Chartres Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honor of the Virgin Mary ('Notre Dame' –'Our Lady'), it was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220. It stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. It was built above earlier Romanesque basements, while its north spire is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate flamboyant style. One of the most beautiful and historically significant cathedrals in all of Europe, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, which called it "the high point of French Gothic art" and a "masterpiece". The cathedral has been well-preserved and restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft.) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and the 113-metre (377 ft.) and a Flamboyant (late Gothic) spire on top of an older tower. Its three great façades are adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.<br />
Additional information on Chartres Cathedral may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/nikonpaul/">D200-PAUL</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54877926684/" title="Panorama of the Southern Façade, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54877926684_3c73542c8e_m.jpg" width="240" height="150" alt="Panorama of the Southern Façade, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France" /></a></p>

<p><b>Details best viewed in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54877926684/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Original Size</a>. </b><br />
<br />
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, otherwise known as Chartres Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honor of the Virgin Mary ('Notre Dame' –'Our Lady'), it was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220. It stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. It was built above earlier Romanesque basements, while its north spire (seen here on the left) is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate flamboyant style. One of the most beautiful and historically significant cathedrals in all of Europe, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, which called it "the high point of French Gothic art" and a "masterpiece". The cathedral has been well-preserved and restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft.) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and the 113-metre (377 ft.) and a Flamboyant (late Gothic) spire on top of an older tower. Its three great façades are adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.<br />
This panorama was constructed using Photoshop CC to stitch together horizontally two landscape-oriented images.<br />
Additional information on Chartres Cathedral may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874451384/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874451384_be2eeb238b_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874451419/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874451419_42f6681afd_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874205321/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874205321_ca8447dbe5_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874205361/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874205361_f4583ff218_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874437498/" title="France - Chartres: Park surrounding the cathedral"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874437498_bb4e31fd99_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Park surrounding the cathedral" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874437533/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874437533_7b9f626c0d_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874205356/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874205356_b4be689b3a_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54874451409/" title="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54874451409_e78ae9d522_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Cathédrale Notre-Dame" /></a></p>

<p>The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres (English: Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres) is an early Gothic cathedral and one of the most famous in France. The cathedral stands on a hill overlooking the city of Chartres and was built between 1194 and around 1220. Its fame is primarily due to its stained-glass windows, which reflect the glow of the blue Chartres light. The cathedral's most famous relic is a robe or veil, called the "Vest of the Virgin Mary," or in Latin, "Sancta Camisia," which is said to have been worn by the Virgin Mary as she wept beneath the cross of her dying son, Jesus.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54871897541/" title="France - Chartres: Saint Pierre"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54871897541_77726098f9_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Saint Pierre" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54872150369/" title="France - Chartres: Rue Saint Pierre"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54872150369_fab055448b_m.jpg" width="160" height="240" alt="France - Chartres: Rue Saint Pierre" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54871897561/" title="France - Chartres: basse ville, river Eure"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54871897561_1eb1a7b2f1_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: basse ville, river Eure" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54872198935/" title="France - Chartres: Place Billard"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54872198935_aa74643f0a_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Place Billard" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54871897566/" title="France - Chartres: arrival"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54871897566_2ba7ae73a9_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: arrival" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54871041527/" title="France - Chartres: rue des Écuyers - Escalier de la Reine Berthe"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54871041527_d151e9d2d1_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="France - Chartres: rue des Écuyers - Escalier de la Reine Berthe" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54872198945/" title="France - Chartres: Rue de Bourg with a view of the cathedral"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54872198945_f549912986_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: Rue de Bourg with a view of the cathedral" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/geertfotografeert/">geertfotografeert</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/geertfotografeert/54872150404/" title="France - Chartres: basse ville, river Eure"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54872150404_e9edfe95a9_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="France - Chartres: basse ville, river Eure" /></a></p>

<p>Chartres is a city in France, the capital (préfecture) of the Eure-et-Loir department (28), located on the Eure River.<br />
The city boasts a rich heritage, with its Gothic cathedral as its most important monument. Chartres existed in antiquity but reached its peak in the Middle Ages as a religious and intellectual center with its cathedral and famous cathedral school.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/nikonpaul/">D200-PAUL</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54865351822/" title="Rose and Three Lancet Windows and Ribbed Vault (West), Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54865351822_c8ac2b81ab_m.jpg" width="192" height="240" alt="Rose and Three Lancet Windows and Ribbed Vault (West), Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France" /></a></p>

<p><b>Details best viewed in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54865351822/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Original Size</a>. </b><br />
<br />
One of the most distinctive features of Chartres Cathedral is the stained glass, both for its quantity and quality. There are 167 windows, including rose windows, round oculi, and tall, pointed lancet windows. The architecture of the cathedral, with its innovative combination of rib vaults and flying buttresses, permitted the construction of much higher and thinner walls, particularly at the top clerestory level, allowing more and larger windows. Also, Chartres contains fewer plain or grisaille windows than later cathedrals, and more windows with densely stained glass panels, making the interior of Chartres darker but the color of the light deeper and richer. <br />
These windows consists of three lancets below a large rose-window, the latter formed of a 12-lobe eye and 12 sections each made up of 2 medallions, along with twelve smaller circles separated by quatrefoils. Together they form a large Christological canvas devoted to the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, running from his Old Testament human roots (the Tree of Jesse), through his incarnation (Nativity) and sacrifice (Passion), ending with redemption for those who have faith in him (the Last Judgment in the main west rose window). The three lancets date to the mid-12th century, making them the <b>oldest stained-glass in the cathedral</b>. This section of the cathedral was built after a fire in 1135 and is the only part to survive the 1195 fire. The central lancet shows Christ's nativity and life and is flanked by two slightly smaller lancets of his Passion and his human and Davidic roots with a Tree of Jesse, the earliest surviving representation of this motif in stained glass, dating to 1145. The rose window was made sixty years later, in 1215, after the 1195 fire, with the new cathedral's nave higher. Its center shows Christ the Judge showing his windows, angels and the four beasts from the Book of Revelation. Above are Abraham and the Elect, whilst below are souls being weighed and the twelve apostles.<br />
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, otherwise known as Chartres Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honor of the Virgin Mary ('Notre Dame' –'Our Lady'), it was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220. It stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. It was built above earlier Romanesque basements, while its north spire is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate flamboyant style. One of the most beautiful and historically significant cathedrals in all of Europe, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, which called it "the high point of French Gothic art" and a "masterpiece". The cathedral has been well-preserved and restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft.) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and the 113-metre (377 ft.) Flamboyant (late Gothic) spire on top of an older tower. Its three great façades are adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.<br />
Additional information on Chartres Cathedral may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.<br />
Additional information on Chartres stained glass windows may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stained_glass_windows_of_Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/nikonpaul/">D200-PAUL</a> posted a photo:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54866501430/" title="Five Lancet Windows above the Main Altar, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54866501430_ba49dbf61c_m.jpg" width="240" height="207" alt="Five Lancet Windows above the Main Altar, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres, France" /></a></p>

<p><b>Details best viewed in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikonpaul/54866501430/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Original Size</a>. </b><br />
<br />
One of the most distinctive features of Chartres Cathedral is the stained glass, both for its quantity and quality. There are 167 windows, including rose windows, round oculi, and tall, pointed lancet windows. The architecture of the cathedral, with its innovative combination of rib vaults and flying buttresses, permitted the construction of much higher and thinner walls, particularly at the top clerestory level, allowing more and larger windows. Also, Chartres contains fewer plain or grisaille windows than later cathedrals, and more windows with densely stained glass panels, making the interior of Chartres darker but the color of the light deeper and richer. <br />
No information has been found concerning these five windows (specifically bays 100 through 104) above the high altar.<br />
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, otherwise known as Chartres Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris, and is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres. Dedicated in honor of the Virgin Mary ('Notre Dame' –'Our Lady'), it was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220. It stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. It was built above earlier Romanesque basements, while its north spire is more recent (1507–1513) and is built in the more ornate flamboyant style. One of the most beautiful and historically significant cathedrals in all of Europe, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979, which called it "the high point of French Gothic art" and a "masterpiece". The cathedral has been well-preserved and restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft.) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and the 113-metre (377 ft.) Flamboyant (late Gothic) spire on top of an older tower. Its three great façades are adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.<br />
Additional information on Chartres Cathedral may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.<br />
Additional information on Chartres stained glass windows may be found at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stained_glass_windows_of_Chartres_Cathedral" rel="noreferrer nofollow"> Wikipedia</a>.</p>

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