Chartres () is the prefecture 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

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as defined by the INSEE), 38,534 of whom lived in the city (

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

) of Chartres proper. Chartres is famous worldwide for its

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

. Mostly constructed between 1193 and 1250, this

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

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 12th ...

, was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944.

History

Chartres was one of the principal towns in

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

of the Carnutes, 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 Fo ...

tribe. In the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

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 burned by the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

in 858, and unsuccessfully besieged by them in 911. During

the Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, it was the most important town of the

Beauce Beauce may refer to: * Beauce, France, a natural region in northern France * Beaucé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France * Beauce, Quebec, an historical and cultural region of Canada ** Beauce (electoral district), a fed ...

. 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 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 most populated city of the ...

, 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, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

, 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, where members of the family were tenants in a castle belonging to the Counts of Champagne. Gauch ...

, 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, partic ...

in 1286. In 1417, during the Hundred Years' War, 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 Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

. In 1568, during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

, Chartres was unsuccessfully

besieged Besieged may refer to: * the state of being under siege * ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci {{disambiguation ...

by the

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

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 ...

. 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 ceremony was not performed in Reims. In 1674,

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

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

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Chartres was hereditary in the

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (french: Maison d'Orléans), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans (french: link=no, Maison de Bourbon-Orléans) to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the Ro ...

, and given to the eldest son of the Duke of Orléans. In the 1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War, 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. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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, 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 Lèves () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in Northern France. Population International relations Lèves is twinned with the English town of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. See also *Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department The fol ...

, north of Chartres. For his heroic action both at Chartres and Lèves, Colonel Griffith received, posthumously, 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 belonging to the XX Corps of the U.S. Third Army commanded by General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

Climate

Demographics

Geography

Chartres is built on a hill on the left bank of the river Eure. Its renowned medieval

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

, the "granary of France", of which the town 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 created in Europe between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive use of stained glass ...

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 is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

list of

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

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

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...

, 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 windows of the cathedral were financed by guilds 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 Michel Pastoureau (born 17 June 1947) is a French professor of medieval history and an expert in Western symbology. Biography Pastoureau was born in Paris on 17 June 1947. He studied at the École Nationale des Chartes, a college for prospective ...

says that it could also be called ''bleu de Saint-Denis''. The ''Église Saint-Pierre de Chartres'' was the church of the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

'' Abbaye Saint-Père-en-Vallée'', founded in the 7th century by queen

Balthild Balthild (; ang, Bealdhild, 'bold sword' or 'bold spear; around 626 – 30 January 680), also spelled Bathilda, Bauthieult or Baudour, was queen consort of Neustria and Burgundy by marriage to Clovis II, the King of Neustria and Burgundy (639 ...

. 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 stained glass 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 dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented ...

s and

accoutrements Accoutrements are the personal/individual equipment of service people such as soldiers, sailors, police and firemen and employees of some private organizations such as security guards, other than their basic uniform and weapons.In American English ...

, in

, a suburb of Chartres. * ''Muséum des sciences naturelles et de la préhistoire'', Natural science 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 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 of the 17th century called ''Hôtel de 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 French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. ''La Maison Picassiette'', a house decorated inside and out with mosaics of shards of broken china and pottery, is also worth a visit.

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 rural ...

s in the region of

(known as "the granary of France"). Historically,

game pie Game pie is a form of meat pie featuring game. The dish dates from Roman times when the main ingredients were wild birds and animals such as partridge, pheasant, deer, and hare. The pies reached their most elaborate form in Victorian England, wit ...

s 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. More recently, businesses include the manufacture of electronic equipment and car accessories. 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,

Nogent-le-Rotrou Nogent-le-Rotrou () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and is located on the river Huisne, 56 kilometres west of Chartres on the RN23 and 150 kilometres south west of Paris, to which it is l ...

and

Courtalain Courtalain () is a former commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Commune nouvelle d'Arrou.A11 motorway connects Chartres with Paris and Le Mans.

Sport

Chartres is home to two semi-professional association football clubs;

FC Chartres Football Club de Chartres was a French association football club, based in Chartres. History The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger between ''Vélo Sport Chartrain'' and ''Sporting Club de Chartres''. They are based in the town of ...

, who play in the French sixth division, and

HB Chartres Horizon de Beaulieu Chartres was a French association football club, most recently known as Chartres Horizon. They were based in the town of Chartres and their home stadium was the Stade de Beaulieu. In May 2018, the club merged with FC 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 UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competiti ...

. 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 Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

club in France. There is also a handball 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 events ...

Diocese

The town is the seat of a

diocese In 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 provinces were administratively associa ...

(bishopric), a prefecture, and a ''

cour d'assises In France, a ''cour d'assises'', or Court of Assizes or Assize Court, is a criminal trial court with original and appellate limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving defendants accused of felonies, meaning crimes as defined in French law. I ...

''. It has a ''Tribunal de grande instance'', a ''Tribunal d'instance'', a Chamber of commerce and a branch of the ''

Banque de France The Bank of France ( French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the ...

''. 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 Charles Pierre Péguy (; 7 January 1873 – 5 September 1914) was a French poet, essayist, and editor. His two main philosophies were socialism and nationalism. By 1908 at the latest, after years of uneasy agnosticism, he had become a believing b ...

(1873–1914) revived the pilgrimage route between Paris and Chartres before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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 ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

, organizes the annual pilgrimage on foot from '' Notre-Dame de Paris'' to ''Notre-Dame de Chartres''. About 15,000 pilgrims, from France and countries outside France, participate every year.

Bishops

Notable bishops of Chartres: *

Fulbert of Chartres Fulbert of Chartres (french: Fulbert de Chartres; 952–970–10 April 1028) was the Bishop of Chartres from 1006 to 1028 and a teacher at the Cathedral school there. Fulbert was a pupil of Gerbert of Aurillac, who would later become Pope Syl ...

(1007–1029) * St. Ivo of Chartres (1090–1115) *

John of Salisbury John of Salisbury (late 1110s – 25 October 1180), who described himself as Johannes Parvus ("John the Little"), was an English author, philosopher, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres. Early life and education Born at Salisbury, E ...

(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), who assumed the name of de Warville (an English version of "d'Ouarville", a hamlet in the village of Lèves where his father owned property), was a leading member of the Girondins du ...

(1754–1793), a leading member of the

Girondist The Girondins ( , ), or Girondists, were members of a loosely knit political faction during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnard ...

movement (

) * Julien Cétout (born 1987 or 1988), football player *

Arlette Chabot Arlette Chabot (born 21 July 1951) is a prominent French journalist and political commentator. She was until August 2010 the head of the editorial team of France 2. In March 2011 she moved to the radio station Europe 1 to become head of news and ...

(born 1951), journalist *

Fulcher of Chartres Fulcher of Chartres (c. 1059 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 c. 1059. His app ...

(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 medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic r ...

Alexis de Castillon Marie-Alexis de Castillon de Saint-Victor (13 December 1838 – 5 March 1873) was a French composer. Life and career Born in Chartres into an old aristocratic family from Languedoc, his parents initially intended him to pursue a military caree ...

(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," f ...

and member of the Académie française *

Philippe Desportes Philippe Desportes or Desports (1546 – 5 October 1606) was a French poet.Jean Balsamo. Philippe Desports (1546-1606) Volume 62 of Actes et colloques. Editor, Contributor, Jean Balsamo. Publisher, Klincksieck, 2000 Biography Philippe Desp ...

(1546–1606), poet *

Antoine François Desrues Antoine François Desrues (1744–1777) was a French poisoner. Desrues was born at Chartres, of humble parents. He went to Paris to seek his fortune, and started in business as a grocer. He was known as a man of great piety and devotion, and his b ...

(1744–1777), poisoner *

Loïc Duval Loïc Duval (; born 12 June 1982) is a French professional racing driver racing for Audi Sport as a factory driver in DTM and driving for Dragon Racing in Formula E. He won the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans with Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen dri ...

(born 1982), racing driver *

Julien Escudé Julien Régis Paul Escudé (born 17 August 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played mainly as a central defender but also as a full back. After making a name for himself with Rennes, he went on to play abroad with Ajax, Sevil ...

(born 1979), football player *

Nicolas Escudé Nicolas Jean-Christophe Escudé (born 3 April 1976) is a former professional tennis player from France, who turned professional in 1995. He won four singles titles and two doubles titles during his career. Escudé is best remembered for the vit ...

(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 Pa ...

(1619–1695), architect and

historiographer Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...

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 earl ...

(1809–1880), lawyer and entomologist *

Pierre-Jules Hetzel Pierre-Jules Hetzel (15 January 1814 – 17 March 1886) was a French editor and publisher. He is best known for his extraordinarily lavishly illustrated editions of Jules Verne's novels, highly prized by collectors today. Biography Born in Ch ...

(1814–1886), editor and publisher * Éric Lada (born 1965), football player * Luc Lamirault (born 1962), politician * François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers (1769–1796), general *

Pierre Nicole Pierre Nicole (19 October 1625 – 16 November 1695) was one of the most distinguished of the French Jansenists. Life Born in Chartres, he was the son of a provincial barrister, who took in charge his education. Sent to Paris in 1642 to study t ...

(1625–1695), Jansenist theologian *

Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve (, 3 January 1756 – 18 June 1794) was a French writer and politician who served as the second mayor of Paris, from 1791 to 1792. Early life and work Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve was the son of a prosecutor at ...

(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 (, ; oc, petanca, , also or ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports, along with raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, lawn bowls, and crown green bowling. In all of these sports, players or teams play their boules/balls ...

player *

Mathurin Régnier Mathurin Régnier (December 21, 1573 – October 22, 1613) was a French satirist. Life Régnier was born in Chartres, capital city of the current department of Eure-et-Loir, in Centre-Val de Loire region . His father, Jacques Régnier, was a ...

(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. Under Contemporary, 1930-196 ...

Jacqueline de Romilly Jacqueline Worms de Romilly (; née David, Greek: Ζακλίν ντε Ρομιγύ, 26 March 1913 – 18 December 2010) was a French philologist, classical scholar and fiction writer. She was the first woman nominated to the Collège de France, an ...

(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 especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

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 FC Laval. Career Amateur Lefèvre played with the youth teams of OC Perpignan, a satellite club of Montpellier HSC. In 2003, he moved to M ...

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

International relations

Chartres is twinned with: *

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) 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 from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the ca ...

, Italy ''(since 1957)'' *

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...

, Germany ''(since 1959)'' *

Chichester Chichester () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publi ...

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

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

, Palestine ''(since 1995)'' *

Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old ...

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

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

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)

(English)
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