Chartres, a model of gothic architecture.Notre-Dame cathedral in Chartres cathedral is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and guards the relic of the Holy Tunic, an artefact which has been conserved there since the 9th century.Built relatively quickly in the first half of the 13th century, the cathedral presents a stylistic and architectural consistency which is particularly interesting. The towers, the royal door and the crypt are the remnants of an earlier building which was destroyed by a fire in 1194. Notre-Dame in Chartres is generally considered a model of gothic architecture, due in part to its numerous flying buttresses and rib arches.The building has an extremely impressive set of stained-glass windows from the 12th and 13th centuries.The famous choir partition, sculpted between the 13th and 18th centuries, represents the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Only two panels of the 13th century rood-screen remain. The treasury contains a number of unique goldsmith works.