The medieval Gothic cathedral was in many ways a civic building as well as a religious one. This particularly was the case with the famous cathedral Notre-Dame de Chartres Our Lady of Chartres in the town of the same name, 80km south-east of Paris, built in the 13th century. Chartres cathedral was planned not only as a place of worship, but also developed as the centre of the town"s economy and way of life, as the place that housed the relic of the cloak of the Virgin Mary. The local citizens assisted the building of the cathedral by providing...
in the town occurred at the fairs held on holy days of the Virgin Mary, which drew pilgrims from all over Europe. The cathedral was built and funded by the entire populace and not just the religious community; everyone from the Queen of France to the peasants in the fields contributing to the massive effort. The patrons of the cathedral were not just the people attending mass; the cathedral was also a school, hospital, fairground, trade centre, marketplace, meeting hall, art gallery, sanctuary, shelter and tourist attraction; it was the heart as well as the soul of the town.