The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Chartres was built using the 11th century Romanesque cathedral built by the bishop Fulbert as a foundation. Only the crypt (the largest in France at 220m in length), the towers and the base of the west façade escaped the fire which broke out in 1194. The Gothic cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries.The portail royal doorway is a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture: it represents life and the triumph of Jesus. Its stained glass windows which date from the 12th and 13th centuries rival those at Bourges, which has the finest collection in France.Don't miss the stained glass windows of Notre-Dame-de-la-Belle-Verrière which date from 1180, representing a Madonna with child, and those of the Annunciation and Visitation.Notre-Dame de Chartres has been declared a World Heritage monument by Unesco.
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