Reconstruction of Chartres Cathedral

Timeline

1. 1194–1210Chartres · ChartresAfter the 1194 fire, the bishop and citizens quickly raised funds for reconstruction, preserving part of the Romanesque west facade and south tower and planning a larger Gothic nave and transept; the work got fully underway in the early 13th century.
2. 1215–1220Chartres Cathedral · ChartresIn the 1210s craftsmen completed the soaring north tower and the main body of the Gothic nave, using flying buttresses and pointed-arch ribbing to raise the interior height; the west rose window and the stained glass of the side aisles were installed one after another, forming the iconic effects of light.
3. 1215–1220Kingdom of France · FranceChartres Cathedral's geometric proportions and facade composition became a model for French Gothic architecture; its Marian devotion theme and the citizens' participation in construction provided technical and aesthetic references for the cathedrals of Paris, Reims, Amiens, and others.