Chartres
Chartres (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁtʁ] ⓘ) is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about 90 km (56 mi) 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) of Chartres proper.
Chartres | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
Cityscape from Chartres Cathedral | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Chartres | |
Chartres Chartres | |
| Coordinates: 48°27′22″N 1°29′02″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Centre-Val de Loire |
| Department | Eure-et-Loir |
| Arrondissement | Chartres |
| Canton | Chartres-1, 2 and 3 |
| Intercommunality | CA Chartres Métropole |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Jean-Pierre Gorges |
| Area 1 | 16.85 km2 (6.51 sq mi) |
| • Metro (2020) | 1,923.2 km2 (742.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | 38,447 |
| • Density | 2,300/km2 (5,900/sq mi) |
| • Metro (Jan. 2019) | 170,763 |
| • Metro density | 89/km2 (230/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 28085 /28000 |
| Elevation | 121–161 m (397–528 ft) (avg. 142 m or 466 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Chartres is famous worldwide for its 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 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, was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1944.