Editing Chartres Cathedral (section)

==History==
[[File:Chartres-00001.jpg|thumb|Chartres Cathedral by night]]

===Earlier Cathedrals===

At least five cathedrals have stood on this site, each replacing an earlier building damaged by war or fire. The first church dated from no later than the 4th century and was located at the base of a [[Gallo-Roman]] wall; this was put to the torch in 743 on the orders of the Duke of Aquitaine. The second church on the site was set on fire by [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danish pirates]] in 858. This was then reconstructed and enlarged by Bishop Gislebert, but was itself destroyed by fire in 1020. A vestige of this church, now known as Saint Lubin Chapel, remains, underneath the [[apse]] of the present cathedral.<ref>Houvet, Étienne. ''Chartres- Guide of the Cathedral'' (2019), p. 12</ref> It took its name from [[Leobinus|Lubinus]], the mid-6th-century Bishop of Chartres. It is lower than the rest of the crypt and may have been the shrine of a local saint, prior to the church's rededication to the [[Virgin Mary]].<ref>Jan van der Meulen, ''Notre-Dame de Chartres: Die vorromanische Ostanlage'', Berlin 1975.</ref>

In 962, the church was damaged by another fire and was reconstructed yet again. A more serious fire broke out on 7 September 1020, after which [[Fulbert of Chartres|Bishop Fulbert]] (bishop from 1006 to 1028) decided to build a new cathedral. He appealed to the royal houses of Europe, and received generous donations for the rebuilding, including a gift from [[Cnut the Great]], King of Norway, Denmark and England. The new cathedral was constructed atop and around the remains of the 9th-century church. It consisted of an ambulatory around the earlier chapel, surrounded by three large chapels with [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] [[barrel vault]] and [[groin vault]] ceilings, which still exist. On top of this structure he built the upper church, 108 meters long and 34 meters wide.<ref name="H12">Houvet, Étienne. ''Chartres- Guide of the Cathedral'' (2019), pp. 12–13</ref> The rebuilding proceeded in phases over the next century, culminating in 1145 in a display of public enthusiasm dubbed the "[[Cult of Carts]]" – one of several such incidents recorded during the period. It was claimed that during this religious outburst, a crowd of more than a thousand [[Penance|penitents]] dragged carts filled with building supplies and provisions including stones, wood, grain, etc. to the site.<ref>Honour, H. and Fleming, J. ''The Visual Arts: A History,'' 7th ed., Saddle River, New Jersey: [[Prentice Hall|Pearson Prentice Hall]], 2005.</ref>

In 1134, another fire in the town damaged the façade and the bell tower of the cathedral.<ref name="H12"/> Construction had already begun on the north tower in the mid-1120s,<ref>Philippe Debaud, ' 'Les Maitres Tailleurs de Pierre de la Cathédrale de Chartres, leurs marques identitaires dans les chantiers du XIIème siècle' ', unpublished, 2021.</ref> which was capped with a wooden spire around 1142. The site for the south tower was occupied by the Hotel Dieu that was damaged in the fire. Excavations for that tower were begun straight away. As it rose the sculpture for the Royal Portal (most of which had been carved beforehand) was integrated with the walls of the south tower. The square of the tower was changed to an octagon for the spire just after the [[Second Crusade]]. It was finished about 1165 and reached a height of 105 metres or 345 feet, one of the highest in Europe. There was a narthex between the towers and a chapel devoted to [[Saint Michael]]. Traces of the vaults and the shafts which supported them are still visible in the western two bays.<ref>John James, "La construction du narthex de la cathédrale de Chartres", ' 'Bulletin de la Société Archéologique d’Eure-et-Loir' ', lxxxvii 2006, 3–20. Also in English in ' 'In Search of the unknown in medieval architecture' ', 2007, Pindar Press, London.</ref> The stained glass in the three lancet windows over the portals dates from some time before 1145. The Royal Portal on the west façade, between the towers, the primary entrance to the cathedral, was probably finished a year or so after 1140.<ref name="H12"/>

===Fire and reconstruction (1194–1260)===
On the night of 10 June 1194, another major fire devastated the cathedral. Only the crypt, the towers, and the new façade survived. The cathedral was already known throughout Europe as a pilgrimage destination, due to the reputed relics of the [[Virgin Mary]] that it contained. A legate of the Pope happened to be in Chartres at the time of the fire, and spread the word. Funds were collected from royal and noble patrons across Europe, as well as small donations from ordinary people. Reconstruction began almost immediately. Some portions of the building had survived, including the two towers and the Royal Portal on the west end, and these were incorporated into the new cathedral.<ref name="H12" />

The nave, aisles, and lower levels of the transepts of the new cathedral were probably completed first, then the choir and chapels of the apse; then the upper parts of the transept. By 1220, the roof was in place. The major portions of the new cathedral, with its stained glass and sculpture, were largely finished within just twenty-five years, extraordinarily rapid for the time. The cathedral was formally re-consecrated in October 1260, in the presence of King [[Louis IX of France]],<ref>Favier, Jean. ''The World of Chartres''. New York: Henry N. Abrams, 1990. p. 160. {{ISBN|978-0-8109-1796-5}}.</ref> whose coat of arms can be seen painted on a [[boss (architecture)|boss]] at the entrance to the apse, although this was added in the 14th century.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hamburger |first=Jeffrey F. |date=1 October 2020 |title=Restoration and Desecration. |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=10475141&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA635666027&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life |language=English |issue=306 |pages=7–10}}</ref>

===Later modifications (13th–18th centuries) and the coronation of Henri IV of France===
[[File:Sacre Henri4 France 01.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The coronation of [[Henri IV of France]] in the cathedral on 27 February 1594]]
Relatively few changes were made after this time. An additional seven spires were proposed in the original plans, but these were never built.<ref name="H12" /> In 1326, a new two-storey chapel, dedicated to Saint [[Piatus of Tournai]], displaying his relics, was added to the apse. The upper floor of this chapel was accessed by a staircase opening onto the ambulatory. (The chapel is normally closed to visitors, although it occasionally houses temporary exhibitions.) Another chapel was opened in 1417 by [[Louis, Count of Vendôme]], who had been captured by the English at the [[Battle of Agincourt]] and fought alongside [[Joan of Arc]] at the siege of [[Orléans]]. It is located in the fifth bay of the south aisle and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its highly ornate [[Flamboyant Gothic]] style contrasts with the earlier chapels.<ref name="H12" />

[[File:Chartres incendie cathédrale François Alexandre Pernot 1836 Eure-et-Loir (France).jpg|thumb|left|The 1836 fire of Chartres Cathedral by François-Alexandre Pernot (1837)]]
In 1506, lightning destroyed the north spire, which was rebuilt in the '[[Flamboyant Gothic|Flamboyant]]' style from 1507 to 1513 by architect Jean Texier. When he finished this, he began constructing a new jubé or [[Rood screen]] that separated the ceremonial choir space from the nave, where the worshippers sat.<ref name="H12" />

On 27 February 1594, King [[Henri IV of France]] was crowned in Chartres Cathedral, rather than the traditional [[Reims Cathedral]], since both Paris and Reims were occupied at the time by the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]]. The ceremony took place in the choir of the church, after which the King and the Bishop mounted the rood screen to be seen by the crowd in the nave. After the ceremony and a mass, they moved to the residence of the bishop next to the cathedral for a banquet.<ref name="Jouanneaux 2000 p. 94">Prache and Jouanneaux (2000), p. 94</ref>

[[File:Chartres roof space the Charpente de Fer.jpg|thumb|Inside the roof-space, the ''charpente de fer'', built c. 1840]]
In 1753, further modifications were made to the interior to adapt it to new theological practices. The stone pillars were covered with stucco, and the tapestries which hung behind the stalls were replaced by marble reliefs. The [[rood screen]] that separated the liturgical choir from the nave was torn down and the present stalls were built. At the same time, some of the stained glass in the clerestory was removed and replaced with [[grisaille]] windows, greatly increasing the light on the high altar in the center of the church.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

===French Revolution and 19th century===
Early in the [[French Revolution]] a mob attacked and began to destroy the sculpture on the north porch, but was stopped by a larger crowd of townspeople. The local Revolutionary Committee decided to destroy the cathedral via explosives and asked a local architect to find the best place to set the explosions. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. The cathedral, like Notre Dame de Paris and other major cathedrals, became the property of the French State and worship was halted until the time of Napoleon, but it was not further damaged.

In 1836, due to the negligence of workmen, a fire began which destroyed the lead-covered wooden roof and the two belfries, but the building structure and the stained glass were untouched. The old roof was replaced by a copper-covered roof on an iron frame. At the time, the framework over the crossing had the largest span of any iron-framed construction in Europe.<ref name="H12"/>

===World War II===
The Second World War, in France, was fought between the Allies and Axis powers of Germany and Italy. In July 1944, the British and Canadians found themselves restrained just south of Caen. The Americans and their five divisions planned an alternative route to the Germans. While some Americans headed west and south, others found themselves in a sweep east of Caen that led them behind the frontline of the German forces. Hitler ordered the German commissioner, Kluge, to head west to cut off the Americans. This ultimately led the Allies to Chartres in mid-August 1944.<ref>Footitt, Hilary. (1988). France : 1943–1945. Homes & Meier. {{ISBN|0841911754}}. {{OCLC|230958953}}</ref>

On 16 August 1944, the cathedral was saved from destruction thanks to the American colonel [[Welborn Griffith|Welborn Barton Griffith Jr.]] (1901–1944), who questioned the order he was given to target the cathedral. The Americans believed that the steeples and towers were being used as an observation post for German artillery.<ref>"A Short History of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, France". francetravelplanner.com. Retrieved 6 November 2019</ref>

Griffith, accompanied by a volunteer soldier, instead decided to go and verify whether or not the Germans were using the cathedral. Griffith could see that the cathedral was empty, so he had the cathedral bells ring as a signal for the Americans not to shoot. Upon hearing the bells, the American command rescinded the order to fire. Colonel Griffith died in combat action that same day, in the town of [[Lèves]], near Chartres. He was posthumously decorated with the ''Croix de Guerre avec Palme'' ([[Croix de Guerre 1939–1945|War Cross 1939–1945]]), the ''Légion d'Honneur'' ([[Legion of Honour]]) and the ''Ordre National du Mérite'' ([[Ordre national du Mérite|National Order of Merit]]) of the French government and the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] of the American government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colonel Welborn Griffith |url=http://www.friendsofchartres.org/aboutchartres/colonelwelborngriffin/ |website=American Friends of Chartres |access-date=4 May 2020 |archive-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229010438/https://www.friendsofchartres.org/aboutchartres/colonelwelborngriffin/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Welborn Barton Griffith |url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/6100%7Ctitle=Militarytimes |website=militarytimes/the Hall of Valor. |access-date=4 May 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027203938/https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/6100%7Ctitle=Militarytimes |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 2009 restoration ===
In 2009, the Monuments Historiques division of the French Ministry of Culture began an $18.5-million program of works at the cathedral, cleaning the inside and outside, protecting the stained glass with a coating, and cleaning and painting the inside masonry creamy-white with ''[[trompe-l'œil]]'' marbling and gilded detailing, as it may have looked in the 13th century. This has been a subject of controversy (see [[#Restoration|below]]).

===Liturgy===
The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Chartres of the [[Diocese of Chartres]]. The diocese is part of the [[Archdiocese of Tours|ecclesiastical province of Tours]].

Every evening since the events of [[11 September 2001]], [[Vespers]] are sung by the [[Chemin Neuf Community]].{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}