Dedicated in honour of the Virgin Mary 'Our Lady' , it was mostly constructed between and , it stands on the site of at least five cathedrals that have occupied the site since the Diocese of Chartres was formed as an episcopal see in the 4th century. It is one of the best-known and most influential examples of High Gothic [ 2 ] and Classic Gothic architecture. The cathedral has been well-preserved and restored: the majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century.
The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires — a metre ft plain pyramid completed around and the metre ft Flamboyant late Gothic spire on top of an older tower. Since at least the 12th century the cathedral has been an important destination for travellers.
It attracts large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of whom come to venerate its famous relic, the Sancta Camisa , said to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ's birth, as well as large numbers of secular tourists who come to admire the cathedral's architecture and art. At least five cathedrals have stood on this site, each replacing an earlier building damaged by war or fire. The first church dated from no later than the 4th century and was located at the base of a Gallo-Roman wall; this was put to the torch in on the orders of the Duke of Aquitaine.
The second church on the site was set on fire by Danish pirates in This was then reconstructed and enlarged by Bishop Gislebert, but was itself destroyed by fire in A vestige of this church, now known as Saint Lubin Chapel, remains, underneath the apse of the present cathedral.
It is lower than the rest of the crypt and may have been the shrine of a local saint, prior to the church's rededication to the Virgin Mary. In , the church was damaged by another fire and was reconstructed yet again. A more serious fire broke out on 7 September , after which Bishop Fulbert bishop from to decided to build a new cathedral. He appealed to the royal houses of Europe, and received generous donations for the rebuilding, including a gift from Cnut the Great , King of Norway, Denmark and much of England.
