Chartres

Chartres (French pronunciation:) is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loirdepartment in the Centre-Val de Loireregion in France. It is located about 90 km (56 mi) southwest of Paris. As of 2023, there were 171,665 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as defined by the INSEE), 38,324 of whom lived in the city (commune) of Chartres proper.

Chartres is famous worldwide for the Chartres Cathedral. Mostly constructed between 1193 and 1250, this Gothic cathedral is in an exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows are 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, was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944.