What is inside the Chartres Cathedral?
Interior of Chartres Cathedral, France. The cathedral contains an immense amount of sculpture, particularly figure sculpture, ranging from large column statues to miniatures. As the purpose of the sculptures was to preach and instruct, they mainly depict scenes and figures from the Old and New Testaments.
What were the distinctive characteristics of the cathedral of Chartres?
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.
What architectural style is the Chartres Cathedral?
Gothic architecture
Romanesque architectureFrench Gothic architectureHigh Gothic
Chartres Cathedral/Architectural styles
What kind of art is in Chartres Cathedral?
The interior of the cathedral also contains numerous items of sculpture, including wood carving: the choir enclosure, for instance, contains over 200 statues depicting over 40 scenes. For more about the Gothic style of building design, please see Rayonnant Gothic Architecture (c.1200-1350) and Flamboyant Gothic Architecture (1375-1500).
Is the Notre Dame de Chartres still intact?
In its center is a maze, the only one still intact in France, with 320 yards (290 meters) of winding passages, which the faithful used to follow on their knees. The warm glow of the light inside the cathedral results from the incomparably beautiful stained-glass windows, which date mostly from the 14th century.
How tall is the bell tower of Chartres Cathedral?
Built to accommodate large numbers of worshippers, the high Gothic cathedral features alternate cylindrical and octagonal columns, rationally designed flying buttresses and rib-vaults that soar to 121 feet. Between 1507 and 1513, Jean Texier built a new bell tower.
Where does the nave end in Chartres Cathedral?
The nave continues east and ends in a semicircular apse. The nave and transepts are flanked by single aisles, which broadens into a wide ambulatory around the choir and apse.
