Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral is in Chartres, Centre-Val de Loire, France and is an uNESCO-listed Gothic masterpiece and historic Marian pilgrimage destination, internationally renowned for medieval stained glass and sculpture.. Construction was underway by 1145. After a major fire in 1194, most of the present cathedral was reconstructed over the following 26 years.

UNESCO highlights the exceptional unity of the Gothic architecture, the mid-12th-century sculpted portals, and the surviving 12th- and 13th-century stained glass. A landmark Gothic cathedral noted for its unusually complete medieval fabric, sculpture and stained glass. Its documented heritage context includes Major French Gothic cathedral; it is also recorded as World Heritage Site — Chartres Cathedral (1979).

The cathedral has a long Marian pilgrimage tradition focused on devotion to the Virgin and relic traditions associated with her. These devotional identifications are religious traditions distinct from the architectural history. UNESCO also identifies Chartres as a major medieval pilgrimage destination dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The cathedral’s exceptional survival of stained glass and monumental sculpture makes its religious history inseparable from its artistic importance, while relic traditions associated with Mary are kept distinct from the firmly documented history of the building and pilgrimage.