You will witness a miracle. At least that’s what the towns-people still say about the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. This resolute structure has survived lightning, great fires, Viking attacks, and bombing during both World Wars. And though the pure Gothic architecture, towering spires, and 4,000 carved figures on the famous porches are all sights to behold, the cathedral is best known for its intricate stained glass windows created in the 12th and 13th centuries. Gaze up at the more than 170 panes, which have remained in extraordinary condition. Considered the most extensive medieval stained glass to survive in the world, their miraculous preservation did have a little mortal intervention.
During both World Wars, town officials (with the help of citizens) dismantled the windows, wrapped them, and buried them inside wine caves scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. This handling did do some minor damage, but ultimately saved them from the wrath of German bombers. Their worst enemy today? Eight hun-dred years of exposure to weather, pollution, and human breath. Restoration efforts have been ongoing at Chartres Cathedral since the 1970s but progress is slow, with only a few windows restored each year.
What you can’t see is the painstaking work that originally went into each design. Thanks to a monk named Theophilus, we have some knowledge of stained glass making in the Middle Ages. Artisans cut and dried beech wood logs, burned them, and collected the ashes. These ashes were then mixed with sand and water, melted down in stone and clay furnaces, and cooked. Medieval artists cut the glass, painted it, and positioned it—much like you would a jigsaw puzzle—then cooked it again.
The sun shining through the panes makes them impossible to overlook. But remember, stained glass was originally more than decorative. The windows served as invaluable teaching tools during a time when much of the population was illiterate. See if you can interpret the stories from left to right and bottom to top while you walk along the walls. As you gaze up at these testaments to fabled miracles and human hands, your pilgrimage to Chartres Cathedral is rewarded with a view literally risen from ashes.
See it for yourself with Explorica: explorica.com/plv