The stained glass windows of the choir of Chartres Cathedral and their relationship with the devotional and Eucharistic functions of the altars

A new interpretation of Chartres Cathedral's axial stained glass windows suggests that the Virgin Mary, depicted wearing a chasuble, was given priestly status, reinforcing their Eucharistic significance. This challenges previous arguments against such an interpretation by highlighting iconographic clues and the evolution of Marian cult imagery from Romanesque to Gothic periods. The study proposes that these windows reflect two distinct cult statues—one from the 12th century and another installed around 1220—linking devotional practices with donor involvement and priestly symbolism. Methodologically, it combines iconographic analysis with historical context to reinterpret the windows' multifaceted meanings.

Angheben, M. (2022). The stained glass windows of the choir of Chartres Cathedral and their relationship with the devotional and Eucharistic functions of the altars. Hortus Artium Medievalium, 28, 240–260. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.ham.5.134915