An exploration of how and why places become invested with SACREDNESS and how the SACRED is embodied or made manifest through ART and ARCHITECTURE

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CHARTRES, FRANCE

Chartres Cathedral, begun in 1194, is the epitome of Gothic architecture. Prior to the cathedral, a Christian church had stood on the same site since the 4th century. Centuries earlier, however, on the same spot had stood an oak grove where Druids held their ceremonies.

Speculation on the origins of Gothic architecture has produced many references to the Gothic cathedral as echoing a wood with the nave, transepts and choir, with their ribbed vaults, likened to forest glades. The image is compelling, and in the 18th and 19th centuries much was written about the sylvan origins of Gothic architecture.

In 1792, Sir James Hall, using posts of ash and pliant willow rods, demonstrated to his own satisfaction the timber origins of Gothic architectural forms.