15 Pages of Chartres Stained Glass and Cathedral Photos

The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral - West Facade

We first experienced the magic of Chartres during a rather rushed half day visit in 2005. In September 2007 Team Paradox returned for a more thorough two day exploration, particularly of some of the narrative stained glass windows and the three x three-door portals.

Links to Paradoxplace pages on the Stained Glass windows of Chartres Cathedral

Link to map of window locations and their subjects and donors

Chartres Windows' Photos

Blue Virgin, Mary Magdelene, Charlemagne, St-James, Joseph, Good Samaritan, Tree of Jesse

The Chartres North Rose Window

The Chartres Zodiac Window

DETAILS A: Aquarius to Taurus B: Cancer to Capricorn

The Chartres Incarnation Window

The Chartres Passion Window

Charlemagne Window

Thomas Becket Window

Images of Medieval Tradesmen - the Guilds and others who Donated the Chartres Stained Glass Windows

Links to Paradoxplace pages on the Portals of Chartres Cathedral

North Portal

North Portal Zodiac and Monthly Activities Archivolt Sculptures

West (Royal) Portal

West Portal Zodiac and Monthly Activities Archivolt Sculptures

South Portal

West Rose (1200s) - The Last Judgement - in the centre, Christ surrounded by 12 apostles

The present cathedral of Chartres is at least the fifth on the site. With the exception of the mid 1100s West Front (top) and the crypt, the bulk of the of the present structure dates from the thirty year rebuild after a disastrous fire in 1194. This transformed Chartres into the first of the "soaring gothic cathedrals" and now the only one to still have much of its 1100s, 1200s and 1300s narrative stained glass windows and sculptures intact (not to mention a labyrinth) - ironically because of a lack of funds for "improvements".

Top: The West Front - the oldest part of the cathedral (mid 1100s) - incorporating the Royal (West) Portal surmounted by lancet windows (detail below) and rose (above) depicting the Last Judgement.

This pocket sized guide to Chartres Cathedral (in English) is the best detailed guide. It details almost every window scene and individual statue inside and outside the cathedral, even including archivolt cycles.

Malcolm Miller's book is an excellently written and illustrated guide. If you also want to delve into more background about Chartres and the great age of cathedrals, Ball's book is one of the best we have come across.

KEY (note, the Cathedral faces NE)
1	Royal Portal	Mid 1100s (rescued from1194 fire)
2	Jesse, Incarnation, Passion & Resurrection windows	Mid 1100s (rescued from1194 fire)
3	Labyrinth	The last surviving original medieval cathedral labyrinth
4	West Rose Window (Last Judgement) (above)	c1215 during post fire rebuild
7	South Rose Window (Second Coming) & Lancet Windows (2007 closed for extensive restoration)	c1225
8	South Portal	c1225
10	Blue Virgin Window	Mid 1100s (rescued from 1194 fire)
13	North Rose Window & Lancet Windows	c1235
14	North Portal	Early 1200s

Buy from Amazon UK

At last an affordable book of brilliant close up photos of story panels from the medieval stained glass windows of Chartres. Commentary in French but 95% of the space is pictures! (c23x23cm)

Vitraux de Chartres

Photos of every window

Chartres Cathedral West Lancet Windows 1100s

The three rescued 1100s lancet windows under the West Rose. Left: The Passion and Resurrection Window (detail below); Centre: The Incarnation Window (detail below); Right: The Jesse Window.

The Passion Window (1100s), detail left to right from bottom: Transfiguration, Descent from Mount Tabor with three disciples, Last Supper, Jesus washes the Apostles' Feet.

Link to a whole window photo of the Passion Window

The Incarnation Window (1100s) detail left to right from bottom: Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Angels appear to Shepherds, Herod meets the Magi (2 panels), Adoration of the Magi and their Departure.

LINK TO PHOTOS OF ALL FRAMES IN THE INCARNATION WINDOW

The Royal (West) Portal, the oldest (c1155) of the three portals - some zodiac signs are to be found in the archivolts of the left and right hand doorways. The symbols of the four evangelists surround a mandorlaed Christ in a "tetramorph" in the central tympanum.

LINK TO ROYAL (WEST) PORTAL PHOTO PAGES LINK TO WEST PORTAL ZODIAC AND MONTHLY ACTIVITIES SCULPTURES

Shepherds Annunciation, Chartres Cathedral

"And there were shepherds, keeping watch over their flock by night, "

West Portal - right hand (south) door lintel: Shepherds getting the good news wow from a depleted archangel

Chartres Cathedral Apse

The morning sun shines on the transept and apse at the eastern end of Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral North Porch

The North Portal (early 1200s) in the evening September sun (Zodiacs and monthly labours are in the outer archivolts of the left hand doorway). Because the North Portal is not in the main pedestrian drag, there are a lot fewer people round here, and most of them are looking closely at their guides to identify the story lines in the door surrounds and multiple archivolts.

LINK TO CHARTRES CATHEDRAL NORTH PORTAL PHOTO PAGES

North Rose Window, Chartres Cathedral

The North Rose (probably the best known of all the great rose windows of the cathedrals of Northern France) and Lancet Windows over the North Portal. The windows were given to the Cathedral in 1230 by Queen Blanche of Castile (grand-daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Queen Consort of French King Louis VIII "The Lion" and subduer of Cathars).

Link to 2007 photos of the Chartres Cathedral North Rose ensemble

The South Rose and Lancet Windows, c1225 (photographed in 2005). By 2007 the south end of the transept was covered in scaffolding for a major restoration.

The South Portal (c 1225) (photographed in 2005 pre scaffolding)

LINK TO CHARTRES CATHEDRAL SOUTH PORTAL PHOTO PAGES

Narrative sculpture (Medieval Cavalier Magi) in the ambulatory

The Magi in Art and Sculpture

The Chartres Labyrinth

The nave and its famous inlaid labyrinth, which was built c1200. In those days most cathedrals had them, and they were used as "pilgrimage experience simulators" (or substitutes).

Now only the Chartres labyrinth is left - unless you count Amiens, whose severe looking tiled octagonal job was destroyed in early 1800s "renovations" then reinvented 70 years later. Which is why it is sad that the Chartres Labyrinth spends most of it's time under rows of chairs. This photo was taken on a Friday morning in mid June 2005 - would be labyrinth watchers and walkers weigh the odds of a clear run in their favour on Fridays, but a successful sighting is by no means certain .... if it's important it's best to do more research.

More about the Chartres Labyrinth.

Note also that the lights are on, which makes a huge difference to the otherwise sombre interior - this beautiful place is many many things, but not a church of light as is often claimed.

Chartres Cathedral Aerial View