The Chartres Cathedral

#71 - Paris, France

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Do You Dream?

Whether you believe or not, this cathedral gets close to paradise.

In fact, its towers get up to 371 ft. high, suspending over 176 stained-glass windows, which create beautiful light mosaics inside the cathedral. Not only is this AbsoluteVisit important for its architectural structure and how well it has been preserved, but its role in history has made it a staple destination for everyone. Once used as a marketplace, it then became a destination for many on a pilgrimage with the legend of the Sancta Camisa and of course, our #71.

Slide 1: Chatres Cathedral Entrance

#1 Chartres Cathedral Photo - Brad Harbach
Slide 2: Chartres Cathedral Facade

#2 Chartres Cathedral Photo - Brad Harbach
Slide 3: Chartres Cathedral Protectors

#3 Chartres Cathedral Photo - Brad Harbach
Slide 1: Chartres Chathedral West Towers

by BRoot
Slide 2: Chartres Chathedral front steeple

by lreed76

Overview

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Quick Facts & History

Located about 50 miles from Paris, the Chartres Cathedral is almost perfectly preserved from its original state, design and details. It still retains all of its original stained glass windows. This gives its visitors a better impression of exactly what it was like when it was first built.
The Chartres Cathedral was the first building that used buttresses on the exterior of the building that determined its overall appearance.
The Cathedral houses the largest nave in France at 121 feet (36 meters) high.
One of the key features of the cathedral is an astrological clock all the way from the 16th century that told the time of day, day of the week, month of the year, time of sunrise and sunset, phase of the moon and current zodiac sign, an impressive technological feat for that time period.