Chartres

Chartres is shaped by a cathedral in which successive periods of medieval art remain visible together. Much of the present building rose after the fire of 1194, while the western portals and some stained glass preserve work from the twelfth century. The extensive glazing of the early thirteenth century gives the interior its distinctive colour and narrative richness. Its architecture also influenced other major Gothic buildings in France and beyond. Survival has required later intervention: after the roof fire of 1836, an iron framework replaced the lost timber structure. The cathedral's history joins medieval creation with the continuing work of preservation.