Inside the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

I thought I would have already gotten used to seeing gigantic cathedrals in this trip. However, just seeing another can really take your breath away. The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the town of Chartres just outside Paris. It is a short train ride away and it is worth inserting into your itinerary if you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Paris. Much like the other cathedrals that I have visited this trip, The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres is also very big. A lot of these gigantic cathedral appear to be two churches put on top of the other only because it would appear that they have different architectural styles as they were built. The cathedral at Chartres is one which is romanesque and gothic.

As you might expect from a gothic church, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres is quite dark. Gothic churches tend to have high ceilings to project a feeling of the majesty of God. Because the ceiling is so high, it would be difficult to illuminate the entire church, thus they tend to be dark. This also helps to focus the visitor to the windows and the altar which are bright. Chartres Cathedral has a lot of stained glass windows. This produces a beautiful effect when illuminated by the sun.

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