Chartes Cathedral Overview
Chartres Cathedral, which was constructed in 1145, stands supreme as an example of the French Gothic art (UNESCO). The town of Chartres is of religious importance in ancient times and even these days as the seat of the Druid ceremonies. Located 50 miles from Paris, Chartres Cathedral is a masterpiece of the 11th and 12th century that preserved the intricate design and details of the early Gothic architecture as exemplified by its cycle of portal sculpture and glass windows (Sacred Destinations). This medieval cathedral remains true to the design and image when it was first constructed even though it had undergone serious reconstruction in the late 12thcentury (Sacred Destinations).
Chartres Cathedral is also called the Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres, or Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres. It is the seat of the Diocese of Chartes and the home of the Sancta Camisia. As the home of the relic of Virgin Mary, the Cathedral is considered the main headquarter of the cult who believes in Mary.
After the destruction of the first cathedral buildings, the present cathedral was built in 1194 and the cathedral was dedicated in the 24th of October, 1260, in the presence of King Louis IX of France and his family (Sacred Destinations). During the construction of the cathedral, builders had to remove the rubble or ruins of the old structure to pave way for the foundation of the new Gothic cathedral. From then on, alterations were made including additional small chapel in between buttresses of the main building, but these alterations did not change the beauty of Chartres Cathedral, the most preserved Gothic masterpiece of the medieval France.
In appearance, Chartres Cathedral stands as an over-imposing structure that stands above fields of wheat, which makes it a towering structure giving a view of the entire city. The spot chosen for the cathedral was a cluster of hills. This could have made the construction of the cathedral harder, but the end result was a massive one. The contrast between the landscape and the cathedral provided focused on the architecture of the cathedral.
Being the first to use buttresses as part of the structural element, Chartres Cathedral exposed a beautiful external appearance. This is accentuated by the transept and ambulatory, and the clerestory windows with the spires. Yet, the mismatched spires seem to be the only problem with the cathedral. A new row of buttresses was added to the cathedral in the 14thcentury, and sculptures were also added to fill up and lighten up the colonnettes.
Of all the facades of the cathedral the west front was the most famous because of the cited attributes above, but the cathedral also has massive transepts with large rose widows, sculpted portals, and flanking high towers. In total, the cathedral has nine portals, three of which are from the old structure destroyed by fire but incorporated in the new cathedral structure. The towers are the cathedral are direct examples of the Gothic art.
The highlight of the internal appearance of the cathedral is its stained glass windows that create splashes of color on the floor of the cathedral. Stained glass windows used in the cathedral are said to be one of the most complete stained glass windows from the medieval age. The illumination of colors within the structure is generated by more than 150 stained glass windows. The three main sections of these stained glass windows are the West Rose, the North Rose, and the South Rose. Together with the Blue Virgin Window (Notre Dame de la Belle Verriare), these windows create the light effects of the cathedral.
Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis Overview
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis is situated in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. This cathedral can trace its history in the 4th century and in the 10th century when it became a resting place for the French royal. It was in the 12th century under the direction of Abbot Suger that the cathedral was transformed as the first monumental example of the Gothic art (Spaak 442). However, the cathedral was destroyed in the 15th and 16th century, but it was later restored in 18th century. It was in 1966 that the structure was reopened as a cathedral and not just a burial ground for royals of France (Spaak 443).
From its name, the Basilica was constructed in the Gall-Roman cemetery where Saint Denis had been buried in the late 3rd century (Spaak 442).. In the 4th century, the shrine became a place of pilgrimage, and it was in the 7th century that the basilica was founded (Spaak 442).. It must be noted that the predecessor buildings of the basilica was the venue of anointment of Pepin the Short as the king of France. Since the 10th century, the cathedral had been the burial site for King Louis XVI, Clovis I, Charles I of Naples, Leo V of Armenia, and many other earlier monarchs from the Abbey of St Genevieve (Spaak 442). In essence, the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis plays an important part of the history of France, and not just on its religious importance.
The structure used rosette windows and cross-ribbed arches, the perfect example of Gothic art expression of the medieval France. It was in the 13th century that the basilica got its current appearance as seen today. Yet, it was only in the 19th century, under the guidance of Viollet-le-Duc that the Basilica was restored to its 13th century glory and appearance (Spaak 448). Today, the cathedral still has the famed stained glass windows of the 12th and 13th century architecture.
The decline of the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis can be attributed to the war and plundering of the French Revolution. Because the cathedral served as the necropolis of French monarchs, revolutionary soldiers desecrated tombs as an act of protests against the repressive regimes of these monarchs. This led to the almost-complete destruction of the cathedral, making the revered royal resting place and historical monastery and church a place for birds and grasses. This speaks of the vengeance of the revolutionary soldiers against the French monarchy.
As the first monumental Gothic art example, the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis speaks of the replacement of the Romanesque style with the Gothic architectural style. The nave of the internal facade of the building is accentuated by the soaring arches and the stained glass windows to form the Gothic view of the structure. Being the first Gothic monument, the cathedral sets the tune for the standard of the period's architecture style. The cathedral became the premier example on how buildings and structure of the medieval France were constructed after the decline of the Romanesque style.
The cathedral uses tall but thin statues of Old Testament characters. These sculptures complimented with the horizontal string courses and window arcades, together with the remarkable buttresses that are used in the structure. Like all other Gothic structures, the building also used flanking towers that add external beauty to the structure.
Although, the structure of the building used the Gothic art, the Carolingian nave was recycled to be used for the construction of the eastern end. The structure used much of pointed arches, vaults that are ribbed, ambulatories, columns with buttresses, and clerestory windows.
Comparison Between the Two Architectural Monument
According to Winkles & Garland (76), the architect of Chartres Cathedral focused on the "greatest enrichment; vine branches, delicately formed, with their interlacing and foliage, follow the outlines of the several arches." The architect of this Gothic cathedral united the "elegance of form with the richness of detail (Winkles & Garland 76)," which made the building solid to stand for centuries until this very age. In fact, the masonry behind Chartres Cathedral is one of the best among Gothic structures; while other Gothic structures have disintegrated, Chartres Cathedral had not.
Chartres Cathedral and the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis are Gothic examples with mixture of other styles. Yet, the size and the height of these buildings can be truly placed in the ideal example of Gothic architecture. By extending the building height, the structure keeps a good balance of air and light, which is distinct to the Gothic style of the medieval period.
Yet, we find the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis to be the premier example on the transformation of stone into a lightweight material, which provides a way for the arches, and high naves of the Gothic structure. The Basilica uses slim columns that supported vaults to keep light in entering the area. The slim columns of the Basilica were complimented by its thin statues used in the portals. By keeping the structure high enough, the structure gets enough illumination, rather than the ordinary structure of most basilicas in earlier periods. This provides a way for the use of larger and longer windows which will receive light to radiate colors to the interior of the building, thereby transforming the entire atmosphere and appearance.
Although, the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis is considered as the first monumental ground breaking of the Gothic architectural style, but some say that the Basilica just tweaked some aspects of the Romanesque style. With that, the Chartres Cathedral marks the premier example of Gothic art in France and in Europe. But still, we find the Chartres Cathedral not a purely Gothic architectural structure. According to Olsen (96), the two spires of Chartres Cathedral are not of the same architectural style, but the two features different styles. This means that the Cathedral may not only exhibit the Gothic style, but retains some of its predecessor styles used across Europe.
But even in these differences, these two structures – the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis and Chartres Cathedral – are characterized by the extension of the aisles around the apse, forming the ambulatory. By extending the ambulatory section, the chapels which housed the relics receive much light for radiation of various colors with the aid of the stained-glass windows (Gardner & Kleiner). And perhaps, the most distinct of the Gothic structures are the flying buttresses that hold the nave to the main structure. By doing so, the walls of the structure can be fitted with stained-glass windows attached to the nave clerestory.
The usage of the nave and the flying buttresses is a direct separation from the use of massive masonry. Instead of using too much bricks and stones for the walling of the structure, the nave provides a way to keep the structure more friendly and artistic, rather than solid but rough. This makes the Gothic structure into a three-layer structure, which uses different form of glass arts to accentuate what Gothic art has done.
In terms of artistry and creativity, Chartres Cathedral stands supreme over the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis. By substituting the common and traditionally used frescoes with the glass paintings. With the aid of the glass painting, Chartres Cathedral was able to improve its colorful light radiation appeal compared to the structure of Saint-Denis (Charles &Carl 32). Yet, it could be easily understood that the cathedral only followed the construction and style being formulated and expressed in the basilica. This advantage provided the cathedral an opportunity to improve its substantial impact. But it was in the Basilica of Saint-Denis that statue columns were first used in the portal jambs. Instead of just using traditional and simple masonry, the statue columns provided architectural creativity to the structure.
Gothic structures are noted in the elimination of the monotony of flat surfaces and areas. With the aid of the statues used for the portal jambs and the columnar statues used inside the building, the flat surface monotony is eliminated. This also provides a compliment to the vertical and horizontal elements of the Gothic structure. Chartres Cathedral exudes the use of sharply carved figure modes to create animations of figures, which seem to converse with each other.
While in terms of reproduction, Chartres Cathedral maintains a unique feature. Its glass designs have not been successfully reproduced in modern times (Harvard Student Agencies 212). This is an opposite to the Basilica which had been successfully restored in the late 19th century. But both structures are important part of the Gothic architectural style, which flourished first in France and across Europe.
Work Cited
Charles, V. & Carl, K. Gothic Art.Parkstone International, 2008.
Gardner, H. & Kleiner, F. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume 2. Cengage Learning, 2010.
Harvard Student Agencies. Let's Go Paris: The Student Travel Guide. Avalon Travel, 2010.
Olsen, B. Sacred Places Europe: 108 Destinations. CCC Publishing, 2006.
Spaak, I. "The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis." Medicographia N 101. Servier Publication, 2009.
UNESCO. Chartres Cathedral. UNESCO World Heritage Center, 2013. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/81
Winkles, B. & Garland, R. French cathedrals. From drawings by R. Garland, with an historical and descriptive. Oxford University, 1837.
