CHARTRES, shartr (anciently AUTRICUM, Civrrns CARNUTUM), France, capital of the de partment Eure-et-Loire, 49 miles southwest of Paris, situated on the slope of a hill, at the foot of which flows the Eure, and partly enclosed by walls and ditches, surrounded by ramparts planted with trees, which form an agreeable promenade. Most of the houses are built of wood and plaster and have their gables toward the street. The streets of the lower town are narrow and crooked, and so steep in some parts as to be inaccessible to carriages. There are several public squares, one of which is of great extent. The only public buildings of note are the cathedral, the church of Saint Pierre, contiguous to a huge barrack, once a Benedic tine abbey, and the obelisk to the memory of General Marceau. The cathedral, one of the most magnificent in Europe, is rendered con spicuous by its two spires, one of which is 413 feet high, surmounting the hill on which the city stands. It has 130 windows filled with painted glass of admirable workmanship• and in its chair Henry IV was crowned in 1594. It
is also famous for its sculptures. Chartres is the seat of a bishopric, communal college, sem-' ;nary and agricultural society, and has two hospitals, a cabinet of natural history, botanical garden and a public library of 127,409 printed volumes. Toward the end of the llth century' it was fortified, and in 1145 Saint Bernard preached, in its cathedral, the second crusade., Chartres has manufactures of woolens, hosiery. and leather and is the great cattle and grain market of the fertile plain of Beauce and the department. It has a chamber of commerce and a branch of the Bank of France. It was taken by the English in 1417 and recovered in 1432. In 1870 it was • occupied by the Germans and formed their base of operations against the army of the Loire. Pop. (1911) 24,103'. Con sult Plerval, 'Chartres, sa cathedrale, ses mon tunents) (1896) •, Adams, 'Mont Saint Michel and Chartres) (Boston 1913).