Chartres () is the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of the

Eure-et-Loir Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.department in the

Centre-Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire (; ,In isolation, ''Centre'' is pronounced . ) or Centre Region (, ), as it was known until 2015, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

of Chartres (as defined by the INSEE), 38,534 of whom lived in the city ( commune) of Chartres proper. Chartres is famous worldwide for its

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

. Mostly constructed between 1193 and 1250, this Gothic cathedral is in an exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. Part of the old town, including most of the library associated with the

School of Chartres During the High Middle Ages, the Chartres Cathedral established the cathedral School of Chartres, an important center of French scholarship located in Chartres. It developed and reached its apex during the transitional period of the 11th and 12 ...

, was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944.

History

Chartres was one of the principal towns in

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

of the

Carnutes The Carnutes or Carnuti (Gaulish: 'the horned ones'), were a Gallic tribe dwelling in an extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Carn ...

, a

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

tribe. In the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

period, it was called ''Autricum'', name derived from the river ''Autura'' (Eure), and afterwards ''civitas Carnutum'', "city of the Carnutes", from which Chartres got its name. The city was raided and burned down by the

Norsemen The Norsemen (or Northmen) were a cultural group in the Early Middle Ages, originating among speakers of Old Norse in Scandinavia. During the late eighth century, Scandinavians embarked on a Viking expansion, large-scale expansion in all direc ...

in 858, and once again besieged, this time unsuccessfully, by them in 911. During the Middle Ages, it was the most important town of the Beauce. It gave its name to a county which was held by the counts of

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher Departments of France, department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the mos ...

, and the counts of

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

, and afterwards by the

House of Châtillon The House of Châtillon was a notable French family, with origins in the 9th century. The name comes from that of Châtillon-sur-Marne in Champagne, France, Champagne, where members of the family were tenants in a castle belonging to the Counts o ...

, a member of which sold it to the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

in 1286. In 1417, during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, Chartres fell into the hands of the English, from whom it was recovered in 1432. In 1528, it was raised to the rank of a duchy by Francis I. In 1568, during the second war of Religion, Chartres was unsuccessfully besieged by the

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

leader, the

Prince of Condé A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The f ...

. It was finally taken by the royal troops of Henry IV on 19 April 1591. On Sunday, 27 February 1594, the cathedral of Chartres was the site of the coronation of Henry IV after he converted to the Catholic faith, the only king of France whose

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

ceremony was not performed in

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

. In 1674,

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

raised Chartres from a duchy to a duchy peerage in favor of his nephew, Duke Philippe II of

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Duke of Chartres was hereditary in the

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

, and given to the eldest son of the Duke of Orléans. During the 1870–1871

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, Chartres was seized by the Germans on 2 October 1870, and continued during the rest of the war to be an important centre of operations. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the city suffered heavy damage by bombing and during the battle of Chartres in August 1944, but its

was spared by an American Army officer who challenged the order to destroy it. Note: The Distinguished Service Cross was awarded posthumously for saving the cathedral. On 16 August 1944, Colonel Welborn Barton Griffith, Jr. questioned the necessity of destroying the cathedral and volunteered to go behind enemy lines to find out whether the Germans were using it as an observation post. With his driver, Griffith proceeded to the cathedral and, after searching it all the way up its

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

, confirmed to headquarters that it was empty of Germans. The order to destroy the cathedral was withdrawn. Colonel Griffith was killed in action later on that day in the town of Lèves, north of Chartres. For his heroic action both at Chartres and Lèves, Colonel Griffith posthumously received several decorations awarded by the president of the United States and the U.S. military, and also from the French government. Following deep reconnaissance missions in the region by the 3rd Cavalry Group and units of the 1139 Engineer Combat Group, and after heavy fighting in and around the city, Chartres was liberated, on 18 August 1944, by the U.S. 5th Infantry and 7th Armored

Divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...

belonging to the XX Corps of the U.S. Third Army commanded by Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr.

Climate

Demographics

Geography

Chartres is built on a hill on the left bank of the river

Eure Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

is at the top of the hill, and its two spires are visible from miles away across the flat surrounding lands. To the southeast stretches the fertile plain of Beauce, the "granary of France", in which Chartres is the commercial centre.

Main sights

Cathedrals and churches

Monografie de la Cathedrale de Chartres - 10 Facade Meridionale - Gravure

Chartres is best known for its cathedral, the ''Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres'', which is considered one of the finest and best preserved

Gothic cathedrals Gothic cathedrals and churches are religious buildings constructed in Europe in Gothic style between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive u ...

in France and in Europe. Its historical and cultural importance has been recognized by its inclusion on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

list of

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s. It was built on the site of the former Chartres cathedral of

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

, which was destroyed by fire in 1194 (that former cathedral had been built on the ruins of an ancient Celtic temple, later replaced by a Roman temple). Begun in 1205, the construction of ''Notre-Dame de Chartres'' was completed 66 years later. The

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows of the cathedral were financed by

guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

of merchants and craftsmen, and by wealthy noblemen, whose names appear at the bottom. It is not known how the famous and unique blue, ''bleu de Chartres'', of the glass was created, and it has been impossible to replicate it. The French author Michel Pastoureau says that it could also be called ''bleu de Saint-Denis''. The ''Église Saint-Pierre de Chartres'' was the church of the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

'' Abbaye Saint-Père-en-Vallée'', founded in the 7th century by queen Balthild. At time of its construction, the abbey was outside the walls of the city. It contains fine stained glass and, formerly, twelve representations of the apostles in enamel, created about 1547 by Léonard Limosin, which now can be seen in the fine arts museum. Other noteworthy churches of Chartres are ''Saint-Aignan'' (13th, 16th and 17th centuries), and ''Saint-Martin-au-Val'' (12th century), inside the Saint-Brice hospital.

Museums

* ''Musée des Beaux-Arts'', Fine arts museum, housed in the former episcopal palace adjacent to the cathedral. * ''Le Centre international du vitrail'', a workshop-museum and cultural center devoted to

art, located from the cathedral. * ''Conservatoire du machinisme et des pratiques agricoles'', an agricultural museum. * ''Musée le grenier de l'histoire'', history museum specializing in

military uniform A military uniform is a standardised clothing, dress worn by members of the armed forces and Paramilitary, paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful ...

s and accoutrements, in Lèves, a suburb of Chartres. * ''Muséum des sciences naturelles et de la préhistoire'',

Natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

and Prehistory Museum (closed since 2015).

Other sights

The river Eure, which at this point divides into three branches, is crossed by several bridges, some of them ancient, and is fringed in places by remains of the old fortifications, of which the ''Porte Guillaume'' (14th century), a gateway flanked by towers, was the most complete specimen, until destroyed by the retreating

German army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

in the night of 15 to 16 August 1944. The steep, narrow streets of the old town contrast with the wide, shady boulevards which encircle it and separate it from the suburbs. The "parc André-Gagnon" or "Clos St. Jean", a pleasant park, lies to the north-west, and squares and open spaces are numerous. Part of the '' Hôtel de Ville'' (City Hall) is a building dating from the 17th century, called ''Hôtel Montescot''. The ''Maison Canoniale'' dating back to the 13th century, and several medieval and Renaissance houses, are of interest. There is a statue of General Marceau (1769–1796), a native of Chartres and a general during the French Revolution. The '' Maison Picassiette'', a house decorated inside and out with mosaics of shards of broken china and pottery, was built by Raymond Isidore.

Economy

Chartres is one of the most important

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

s in the region of Beauce (known as "the granary of France"). Historically, game pies and other delicacies of Chartres were well known, and the industries also included flour-milling, brewing, distilling, iron-founding, leather manufacture, perfumes, dyeing, stained glass, billiard requisites and hosiery. Since 1976 the fashion and perfumes company Puig has had a production plant in this commune.

Transport

The Gare de Chartres railway station offers frequent services to Paris, and a few daily connections to

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

, Nogent-le-Rotrou and Courtalain. The A11 motorway connects Chartres with Paris and Le Mans.

Sport

Chartres is home to two semi-professional association football clubs; FC Chartres, who play in the French sixth division, and HB Chartres, who play in the seventh tier. Chartres has a table tennis club which is playing in the Pro A (French First division) and in the European Champions League. The club won the ETTU Cup on the season 2010 – 2011 and it finished at the second position in the French First division. Chartres has the second most important squash club in France. There is also a

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

club and it is playing in the French second division. In November 2012, Chartres organized the

European Short Course Swimming Championships The European Short Course Swimming Championships, variously referred to informally as the "Short Course Europeans" or "European 25m Championships", are a swimming meet, organized by LEN. The meet features swimmers from Europe, competing in event ...

Diocese

The town is the seat of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

(bishopric), a prefecture, and a ''

cour d'assises In France, a ''cour d'assises'', or Court of Assizes or Assize Court, is a Criminal law, criminal trial court with original jurisdiction, original and Appellate jurisdiction, appellate limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving defendants accu ...

''. It has a ''Tribunal de grande instance'', a ''Tribunal d'instance'', a

Chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

and a branch of the ''

Banque de France The Bank of France ( ) is the national central bank for France within the Eurosystem. It was the French central bank between 1800 and 1998, issuing the French franc. It does not translate its name to English, and thus calls itself ''Banque de ...

''. Public and religious schooling from kindergarten through high school and vocational schools is given in mixed (boys and girls) establishments. The two main high schools are the ''Lycée Jehan de Beauce'' and the ''Lycée Marceau'', named after two important personages of the history of Chartres: Jehan de Beauce was a 16th-century architect who rebuilt the northern steeple of the cathedral after it had been destroyed by lightning in July 1506, and Marceau, a native of city, who was a general during the French Revolution of 1789.

Pilgrimages

Chartres has been a site of Catholic pilgrimages since the Middle Ages. The poet Charles Péguy (1873–1914) revived the pilgrimage route between Paris and Chartres before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war, some students carried on the pilgrimage in his memory. Since 1982, the association '' Notre-Dame de Chrétienté'', with offices in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

, organizes the annual pilgrimage on foot from ''

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

'' to ''Notre-Dame de Chartres''. About 15,000 pilgrims, from France and countries outside France, participate every year.

Bishops

Notable bishops of

Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...

: * Fulbert of Chartres (1007–1029) * St. Ivo of Chartres (1090–1115) * John of Salisbury (1176–1180) * Érard de La Marck (1472–1538)

Notable people

Chartres was the birthplace of: * Hélène Boucher (1908–1934), pilot *

Jacques Pierre Brissot Jacques Pierre Brissot (, 15 January 1754 – 31 October 1793), also known as Brissot de Warville, was a French journalist, abolitionist, and revolutionary leading the political faction, faction of Girondins (initially called Brissotins) at the ...

(1754–1793), a leading member of the

Girondist The Girondins (, ), also called Girondists, were a political group during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnards, they initiall ...

movement ( French Revolution) * Julien Cétout (born 1987 or 1988), football player * Arlette Chabot (born 1951), journalist *

Fulcher of Chartres Fulcher of Chartres ( in or near Chartres – after 1128; ; ) was a priest who participated in the First Crusade. He served Baldwin I of Jerusalem for many years and wrote a Latin chronicle of the Crusade. Life Fulcher was born . His appointment ...

(born around 1059 in or near Chartres), chronicler of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

* Alexis de Castillon (1838–1873), composer * Philippe de Dangeau (1638–1720),

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

and member of the * Philippe Desportes (1546–1606), poet * Antoine François Desrues (1744–1777),

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

er * Loïc Duval (born 1982), racing driver * Julien Escudé (born 1979), football player * Nicolas Escudé (born 1976), tennis player *

André Félibien André Félibien (May 161911 June 1695), ''sieur des Avaux et de Javercy'', was a French chronicler of the arts and official court historian to Louis XIV of France. Biography Félibien was born at Chartres. At the age of fourteen he went to Pari ...

(1619–1695), architect and historiographer *

Achille Guenée Achille Guenée (sometimes M.A. Guenée; 1 January 1809 – 30 December 1880) was a French lawyer and entomologist. Biography Achille Guenée was born in Chartres and died in Châteaudun. He was educated in Chartres, where he showed a very ear ...

(1809–1880), lawyer and

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

* Pierre-Jules Hetzel (1814–1886), editor and publisher * Éric Lada (born 1965), football player * Luc Lamirault (born 1962), politician *

François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter * François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire; ...

(1769–1796), general *

Pierre Nicole Pierre Nicole (; 19 October 1625 – 16 November 1695) was a French writer and one of the most distinguished of the French Jansenists. Life Born in Chartres in 1625, Nicole was the son of a provincial barrister, who took in charge his education ...

(1625–1695), Jansenist theologian * Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve (1756–1794), writer and politician * Allison Pineau (born 1989), handball player * André Plassart (1889–1978), hellenist, epigrapher and archaeologist * Philippe Quintais (born 1967),

pétanque Pétanque (, ; ; ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports (along with Raffa (boules), raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, Bowls, lawn bowls, and Crown green bowls, crown green bowling). In these sports, players or teams play thei ...

player *

Mathurin Régnier Mathurin Régnier (December 21, 1573 – October 22, 1613) was a French satirist. Life Régnier was born in Chartres, which at that time was part of the Orléanais. His father, Jacques Régnier, was a bourgeois of good means and position; his ...

(1573–1613),

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Early satirical authors *Aes ...

* Jacqueline de Romilly (1913–2010),

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...

classical scholar Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

and fiction writer * Benjamin Nivet (born 1977), football player *

Wandrille Lefèvre Wandrille Lefèvre (born December 17, 1989) is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a centre back for AS Blainville in Ligue1 Quebec. Career Amateur Lefèvre played with the youth teams of OC Perpignan, a satellite club of Montpellier HSC. ...

(born 1989), Canadian football player * Audrey Marnay (born 1980), actress and model

International relations

Chartres is twinned with: *

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, Italy ''(since 1957)'' *

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...

, Germany ''(since 1959)'' *

Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...

, United Kingdom ''(since 1959)'' *

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, Palestine ''(since 1995)'' *

Évora Évora ( , ), officially the Very Noble and Ever Loyal City of Évora (), is a city and a municipalities of Portugal, municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of . It is the historic capital of the Alentejo reg ...

, Portugal ''(since 2003)'' * León, Spain ''(since 2009)'' * Sakurai, Japan ''(since 1989)'' *

Cusco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous Cusco Province, province and Cusco Region, department. The city was the cap ...

, Peru

Gallery

File:Gare de Chartres 01.jpg, Chartres railway station File:France Chartres 17th-c-engraving.jpg, 17th-century engraving of Chartres "skyline" File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Cathedrale_nuit_02.jpg, The cathedral of Chartres File:France Eure-et-Loir_Chartres Cathedrale 02.jpg, The Apostles and Saint sculptures of Chartres File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Bords_de_l_Eure.jpg, The Old Town – Eure River File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Maison_a_colombage.jpg, Half-timbered house in the Old Town File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Vieille_ville.jpg , Hill of Saint François File:France_Eure_et_Loir_Chartres_Vieille_ville_02.jpg, View south from the cathedral File:Eure_Chartres.jpg, On the banks of the Eure River

Notes

References

*
Chartres and the Chartres Cathedral – Visitor Guide

La Maison Picassiette in Chartres

External links

Tourist office website

City council website
(in French)
Chartres' archeology service website (in French)

Website about archaeological excavations
(in French)
Photo of the abbey church of St.Pierre

Music recorded in Chartres Cathedral in the resonant space of the labyrinth

Chartres World Heritage Site in panographies
– 360-degree interactive imaging {{Authority control Communes of Eure-et-Loir Prefectures in France Archaeological sites in France Carnutes Gallia Lugdunensis Orléanais