Having In the previous posts followed up on the observation made by James and others that the distance from the Labyrinth‘s Centre (LC) to the Crossing’s Centre (CC) is equal to the distance of the Crossing’s Centre to the High Altar Point (HAP), I found that the same distances exist between the Crossing’s Centre and the North- and South Portals. This allowed me to draw, what I called, the “Grand Square” onto the Chartres Floor Plan.
In this post I will extend the analysis to the most Western part- and the most Eastern part of the Floor Plan that lies outside of this “Grand Square”. From the study of the alignments in the Chevet we have learned that the Ambulatory’s semi-circle intersects the Nave’s central axis of the Cathedral at 55 mm from the High Altar Point as measured on the Floor plan. This finding begged the question whether there is a corresponding point at the other side of the Grand Square? In other words what lies at 55 mm West from the LC ? And what lies at 89 mm West from the LC? It led me to draw two large rectangles of 89 by 178 on each side of the Grand Square as shown in red in the following Figure (click to enlarge):
As an aside here, if this is the first post you read and are baffled by my reference to a distance on the Floor Plan of 55 mm and think this is unreal, please do read the section on “Floor Plan diagrams -scale- and the real layout of the edifice ” in my second post.
Chartres Floor Plan Analysis, Showing The Double Square , with Golden Cut Divisions (blue lines), Fig 16
Fig. 16 Chartres Floor Plan Analysis, showing the Double Square plus Golden
Section cuts (blue lines)
EXTENSION OF THE ‘GRAND SQUARE’ TOWARDS TOWERS AND CHEVET
This figure shows the Grand Square with the two new ‘extensions’ on its West- and East side. The extension is a “half Grand Square”, meaning a rectangle of 89 mm by 178 mm. The western rectangle, shown in red lines, encompasses both Towers plus the first three bays of the Nave. On the East side the “half Grand Square” encloses the Chevet with its Apse, Ambulatory and Radial Chapels.
In the added western rectangle I have drawn a blue line at a distance of 55 mm from the L C. This line is drawn, in other words, at the Golden Cut point of the 89 mm short side of this new rectangle (0.618 * 89 = 55). Now does this line coincides with any significant feature in the Plan? As you can see in Fig.16. it happens to run along the inner east wall of the North Tower, but It does not align with any part of the South Tower! The long side of this new 89 by 178 rectangle lands beyond the buttresses of both Towers! It looks like it lies as far West as the beginning of the stairs that gives entry to the Royal Portal. Now let us turn our attention to the minor part resulting from the golden cut of 89, being 89 – 55 = 34. When subjecting this length again to a Golden Section cut we get a piece of 21 mm long and one of 13 mm long. If we draw a line at 21 mm running North-South (shown in blue) we can observe it runs along the inner walls of both the North and the South Tower!
In addition it is also interesting to note that this blue line runs along the most eastern points of the two jambs/buttresses of the central door of the Royal Portal. This line could hence be taken as a reference line for the measurement of the total inside length of the Cathedral [1].
CHARTRES’ CATHEDRAL AND THE POSITION OF THE TWO TOWERS
The fact that the Golden Section can be found back in the position of the Towers is surprising to say the least. Why surprising? The Towers and their position were a ‘given’ for the designers / builders of the ‘new’ Cathedral. The West Front and the Towers had survived the great fire of 1194 and the new cathedral had to be laid out, as said earlier, with these as the starting point. These ‘givens’ were going to be the constraints within which the new Floor Plan had to be developed. How these constraints have affected their new Plan we can now, in our day and age, observe. It forced the designers / builders to incorporate a gradual reduction of the distances of the Nave Arcade piers between the LC and the Towers. This can even be observed from the outside of the Cathedral as witnessed on the South side by the very narrow lancet window next to the South Tower. You can verify this for yourself by using Google Street view from the street named “Cloitre”. Very clearly can the effect of these imposed constraints be observed by inspection of the list with detailed, actual distances of these Nave Arcade piers between the Towers and the LC. The list reads as follows: 4.29 m ; 6.32 m ; 6.88 m and the distances from LC to the Crossing 7.04 m ; 7.07 m ; 7.22 m .
The new 89 by 178 rectangle on the East side of the Grand Square in Fig. 16. can in the same fashion be divided by drawing blue lines at 55 mm from the line through the HAP and one at 55 plus 21 mm. The blue line at 55 mm touches on the Ambulatory circle. No surprise here. The blue line running at 21 mm of the Golden Cut division line of the 34 mm part touches upon the outer edges of the outer buttresses of the main axial Chapel. The long side of the new rectangle however lies well beyond the outer reaches of the Chapels’ buttresses. .
THE DOUBLE SQUARE AND ITS SYMBOLISM .
Following the red lines at the perimeter of this Figure 16 we see that the entire Chartres Floor Plan is ‘contained’ within a Double Square. The left square contains the Towers plus the Nave, whereas the right-hand square contains the Choir and Sanctuary plus semi-circular Ambulatory and radial Chapels. The side in the middle, common to both squares, is running through the Crossing’s Centre and forms the axis of the Transept.
From a symbolical viewpoint a double square can be seen as a figure portraying the Duality aspect present in the Cosmos, a Divine Creation. The two squares positioned side by side as Double Square, forming a perfect representation of manifest duality. The one square in the East is symbolizing the manifest sphere of the Divine and the other square in the West is symbolizing nature and materiality. It is interesting to note that ancient temples were often laid out as Double Square. The Altar’s top surface is shaped in the form of a double square.
At this point I like to reflect some more on the overall Floor Plan plus its Double Square in Fig. 16. When looking at the Plan, I cannot escape the impression that the Transept axis divides the Plan in more ways than one. First, on the left hand side you find straight lines, squares and rectangles whereas on the right hand side you find predominantly circles and round shapes.
Second, how the Mass and Space are distributed over the Plan. The part West of the Transept axis seems more massive, with more stone having been amassed by the builders in walls and buttresses, and, not in the least, in the massive towers. The inner space is, as if deliberately narrowed by the placing of piers and walls and ‘channeling’ the pilgrim and visitor into the Eastern direction towards the Choir and Sanctuary. When I imagine myself moving through the Nave and – I actual walked there – reaching the wide open space at the Crossing of Transept and Nave, it evokes a feeling of release, an aaaah an freeing, an embrace of the wide openness. You could see it as s release from a birth channel into the wide open embrace of the arms of the Transept. On the East side of the Transept axis the whole construction seems less massive and more open, much more space, with much smaller buttresses and with mass spread out over a larger area.You could say this is the articulation of the symbolical meaning of the two-mated-squares translated and expressed in terms of stone (matter) and open space (spirit).
And third, how much Light has been allowed to enter into the edifice in each of the areas bounded by the squares. The light that is admitted through the Nave-Aisles’ windows is restricted by the Aisle’ narrow windows at floor level (ignoring here the Clear Story windows). There seems to be so much wall and masonry at ground level and less direct light through the relatively small windows. In the Eastern Square on the right hand side, we see double windows at floor level, allowing more direct Light and the whole construction is uphold by smaller buttress and thinner walls. Space and Light as the carriers of the Divine Spirit , The Divine emanation.
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF CHARTRES’ TOWERS.
Both Towers lie within the Western Square. I determined the various dimensions of the Towers, as depicted on J.V ‘s Floor Plan and have shown them in the next Figure 17. In this Figure the dimensions of North Tower in particular can be seen to be Fibonacci numbers or their doubles. The inner space of the North Tower – at floor level- consists of a square of 21 by 21 mm. The South tower, in contrast, has a somewhat larger inner space, a square of 23 by 23 mm. The North Tower is often called the new Tower. However, it is interesting to note that the base of the North tower has been constructed first (around 1134) followed by the South tower in 1145. At which time also the Royal portal and the three lancet windows above it were constructed. The wooden spire of the North tower was struck by lightning and was lost on 26 july 1506. A new spire was then built in stone in the Flamboyant style by Jehan de Beauce[2]. This perhaps accounts for the North Tower having received the popular name ‘ the New Tower’.
Fig.17 Click on image to enlarge :
Chartres Floor Plan Analysis , The Double Square plus details around Towers and Chevet. Fig.17.
Fig 17. Chartres Floor Plan Analysis, The Double Square plus detailed analysis around the Towers and Chevet.
THE CHEVET and POSITIONS OF THE SEVEN CHAPELS, the Apse- and Ambulatory columns.
The Eastern Square on the right hand side encompasses the Chevet. Within it, the Apse, the (double) Ambulatory and the Chapels are all arranged in circles with the High Altar Point as centre. In Fig. 17 I have drawn lines that radiate from the HAP. The radial lines through the Chapels’ are shown as dotted lines, whereas the lines through or close to columns are shown as dashed lines. In Fig 17 I have also marked the intersections of these lines with the red line perimeter of the Double Square to allow determining their positions through (linear) measurements. Rather than measuring angles I have chosen to describe their respective positions in this way. Even without measurements you can see from Fig. 17 that the radial axis of the major, southern Chapel lies at an angle of 45 degrees from the Cathedral’s main (West-East) axis. What also can easily be observed from Fig 17 is that the columns and piers in the northern section of the Chevet are displaced towards the North with respect to the Cathedral main axis.
In the next post I will share some thought about the role of geometry in the floor plan’s design.
[1] This is the same reference point, as I believe, O. von Simson used in the appendix of his book on Chartres, in which he gives the internal measurements of Chartres cathedral. He says that he provides these numbers for the benefit of future researchers ! For example, he states that the internal length from this reference point to the most Eastern internal wall of the axial Chapel is 129.42 m.
[2] Source: 800 ANS D’HISTOIRE , Notre Dame de Chartres ; publication presentee a l’occasion du huitieme centennaire a Chartres.
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