THE LADYRINTH OF CHARTAS CATHEDRAL

The labyrinth of Chartres evokes Greek mythology. The architect Daedalus constructed it for the destruction of a monster – the Minotaur – who ate the children of Athens. Theseus vanquished the monster, and he was successful due to the thread spun by Ariadne.

In the Middle Ages, several labyrinths were created on the pavement of religious buildings: Reims, Amiens, Saint-Quentin. They appeared also as a signature of their sponsors and project managers (indicated by their names on a central plaque).

Appreciate the complexity and elegance of the patterns, the main director that represented the execution of pattern in stone.

The labyrinth at Chartres has important geometric points:
– If you ‘project’ the façade onto the pavement, the center of the rose window – where Christ appears majestically – corresponds to the center of the labyrinth.
– If you compare the labyrinth with the central portal statues and the placement of the old altar, draw a square, and there will be a pattern in the plan of the Cathedral.