Chartres Cathedral - is a medieval Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church located in Chartres, France, about 80 kilometres southwest of Paris. Chartres history dates back to the third century when, according to legend, to Chartres arrive early Christians and find in a cave Celtic sculpture of pregnant women, which they regard as a miracle of the Virgin Mary to present and build the first wooden church. In the following centuries formed wooden churches, to breakthroughs XII / XIII century, when the stone church was built. The present Gothic cathedral was founded on the ruins of the Romanesque cathedral. Its foundations are the thick walls, recessed into the ground to a depth of 8 meters, so the whole building is very stable and has an absolutely equal basis. The interior of the cathedral is divided into three naves. In the middle is Europe’s largest maze - located in the heart of the cathedral. The cathedral is 160 stained-glass windows, they occupy a total area of over 2,600 square meters. Chartres Cathedral was the first in France dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. In 1979, the cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
churches and holy placesCentre, FranceChartres, Centre, France