BY: AYRA KHANBLOCK 3

Charters Cathedral

Geography

Chartres Cathedral, also known as Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres, is a medieval Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church located in Chartres, France, about 80 kilometers southwest of Paris.

Address: 16 Cloître Notre Dame, 28000 Chartres, France

Construction started: 1193Opened: 1220Height: 371' (113 m)Architectural styles: French Gothic architecture,

Gothic architectureFunction: Cathedral, Place of worship

History

In 1134 AD, a big fire damaged the front of the old Romanesque cathedral of Chartres. The Christian people of Chartres decided to fix the damage in a new Gothic style.

It was almost done until 1194 AD another terrible fire broke out and caught the wooden roof of the old cathedral. Almost all of the old church (and most of the rest of the town of Chartres) burned down. Only the new front, or facade, was still standing when they got the fire put out.

Everyone was sad, but at least the front was still there. They decided to make a even better new church more stylish. It was rebuilt in less than 30 years very fast for cathedrals.

Chartres en Lumieres

Thousands of pilgrims travel to the cathedral on foot to hear the old Latin Mass, which was replaced by the Second Vatican Council in 1969. These pilgrims are also dedicated to the preservation of the Latin Mass.

The “Chartres en Lumieres” occurs every night from May into September from dark until 1:00 a.m. It is a fantastic light show on the cathedral and other landmarks in the city center and is accompanied by music. Just follow blue lights on the pavement to see this unusual and beautiful show.

https://www.youtube.com/chartresenlumieres