Chambres d'hôte, restaurant, Bar, Lounge - Chartres (28)

Informations générales sur les chambres d'hôtes à Chartres

Le Parvis et la maison de la Cathédrale

Au pied de la Cathédrale de Chartres, nos chambres d'hôtes

Right down the Cathedral

 

Not only are our Bed abd Breakfast rooms confortable and original, but they are also famous for their unobstructed view on the Chartres Cathedral. Your stay in our charming town will become a...historical moment!

The Chartres Cathedral is among the most famous and most visited places in France.

They speak about it....

Wikipédia 31/03/2009
« The Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris, is considered one of the finest examples in all France of the Gothic style of architecture.
From a distance it seems to hover in mid-air above waving fields of wheat, and it is only when the visitor draws closer that the city comes into view, clustering around the hill on which the cathedral stands. Its two contrasting spires  one, a 105 metre (349 ft) plain pyramid dating from the 1140s, and the other a 113 metre (377 ft) tall early 16th century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower  soar upwards over the pale green roof, while all around the outside are complex flying bultresses.
 
The cathedral was the most important building in the town of Chartres. It was the centre of the economy, the most famous landmark and the focal point of almost every activity that is provided by civic buildings in towns today. In the Middle Ages, the cathedral functioned sometimes as a marketplace, with the different portals of the basilica selling different items: textiles at the northern end; fuel, vegetables and meat at the southern one. Sometimes the clergy would try to stop the life of the markets from entering into the cathedral. Wine sellers were forbidden to sell wine in the crypt, but were allowed to do business in the nave of the church and avoid the taxes which they would have to pay if they sold it outside. Workers of various professions, such as carpenters and masons, gathered in the cathedral seeking jobs.
 
Following a fire in 1134 which destroyed much of the rest of the town but spared the basilica, construction of a new building on the Romanesque foundations of the earlier church was begun in 1145 in a blaze of enthusiasm dubbed the "Cult of the Carts". During this religious outburst a crowd of more than a thousand penitents dragged carts filled with building provisions including stones, wood, grain, etc. to the site.
Disaster struck yet again on the night of June 10, 1194, when lightning created a blaze that left only the west towers, the façade between them, and the crypt. The fire destroyed much of the town and all but the west front of the cathedral, so that part is in the "early Gothic" style. The body of the cathedral was rebuilt between 1194 and 1220, a comparatively short span for medieval cathedrals. It has a ground area of 10,875 m² (117,058 sq ft). Rebuilding, with the help of donations from all over France, began almost immediately, using the plans laid out by the first architect, still anonymous, in order to preserve the harmonious aspect of the Cathedral. The enthusiasm for the project was such that the people of the city voluntarily gathered to haul the stone needed from local quarries 8 km (5 miles) away.
Work began first on the nave and by 1220 the main structure was complete, with the old crypt, along with the mid-12th-century Royal Portal which had also escaped the fire, incorporated into the new building. On October 24th, 1260, in the presence of King Louis IX, the cathedral was finally dedicated. However, the full set of spires that appears to have been planned for it in the early thirteenth century was never completed.
 
The cathedral was damaged in the Revolution when a mob began to destroy the sculpture on the north porch. This is one of the few occasions on which the anti-religious fervour was stopped by the townfolk. The Revolutionary Committee decided to destroy the cathedral via explosives, and asked a local master mason (architect) to organise it. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. However, when metal was needed for the army the brass plaque in the centre of the labyrinth was removed and melted down - our only record of what was on the plaque was Felibien's description.
 
The Cathedral of Chartres was therefore neither destroyed nor looted during the French Revolution and the numerous restorations have not diminished its reputation as a triumph of Gothic art. The cathedral was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. "

Source Wikipédia 31/03/2009

The Cathedral House ("Maison de le cathédrale") is among these authentic places where history is omnipresent. The conception of our rooms was performed accordingly to the respect of traditions, throughout a fine choice of noble materials. Their modern decoration and their high-quality installations will ensure you conformt and serenity.

And of course, from your room, you will not but admire this wonderful monument : the Chartres Cathedral!
Share |
5 charming Bed and Breakfast rooms Restaurant Lunch and Dinner Coffee, Lounge, and its 3 levels of cellar