Chartres Cathedral, Paris, France

Chartres Cathedral is among the best and supremely preserved French cathedrals. It is dedicated to Virgin Mary and is located less than 100 km south of Paris. Chartres Cathedral is one of the finest examples of the "High Gothic" style of architecture with marvelous sculpture and stained glass. It is a major site for pilgrimage all over the world. The existing cathedral at Charters is one of several French Gothic masterpieces.

The structures of Chartres Cathedral express an almost perfect image of how it looked when it was built. The Cathedral was first built in 1145 and was destroyed by fire in 1194.Chartres Cathedral became a holy place long before Christian missionaries made their way to France. Since 876, it became an important center of Christian pilgrimage as the site was said to have housed the tunic that had belonged to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is said that Virgin Mary had worn the tunic when she gave birth to Jesus Christ.