Choir of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

High Altar at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

High Altar at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

For me one of the most significant parts of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres is the stone screen which is located at behind the altar. This stone screen separates the choir area from the ambulatory. The ambulatory is where people can pass behind the altar unseen by the congregation to avoid distraction. The stone screen here is a wonderful display of sculpturing mastery, that is would be a nice distraction to look at them while you are going behind the altar. However, the stone screen is not the only interesting place in this area, the choir itself is also an interesting place to see by itself.

Choir of Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

Choir of Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres

The choir, as the name implies, is where the singers during the mass would be sitting. The location of the choir in the Chartres Cathedral is rather unusual for me since from what I have seen so far, the choir is usually located in front of the altar. This might be the first time I have seen one which has it behind the altar. That is probably not that true in the case of the Chartres Cathedral because there is also another altar, the high altar, at the very end. This one is fancier than the one used during celebrations. Unfortunately, I can’t really get any closer to this high altar because it is cordoned off. I took my photos and I was done with my visit.

[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/ChartresCathedral.kmz} zoom=19]