The Virgin of Chartres: Making History through Liturgy and the Arts (review)

Chartres Cathedral's Royal Portal sculptures, a cornerstone of Gothic art, are reinterpreted through the lens of liturgical innovation and political ambition. Margot E. Fassler's award-winning volume expands on her earlier work by grounding these sculptures in the cathedral's liturgical history, emphasizing the Virgin Mary's role as a symbol of divine incarnation and the bishop Fulbert's strategic cult development. The study reveals how Chartres' liturgy, centered around the Virgin, shaped its historical narrative and artistic expression, linking political power, theological evolution, and Marian devotion. Through meticulous analysis of sermons, chants, and architectural reconstruction, Fassler demonstrates the cathedral's enduring ability to create liturgically-based visions that reenacted its past, positioning Chartres as a pivotal site in medieval history.

Hollengreen, L. H. (2012). The Virgin of Chartres: Making History through Liturgy and the Arts (review). Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality, 12(2), 296–299. https://doi.org/10.1353/scs.2012.0040