THE CHARTRES LABYRINTH
Most popular with churches is the Chartres labyrinth pattern. It originated in the early Middle Ages specifically to incorporate Christian meaning and symbolism. The most elegant and best-known version of the Medieval pattern is the one found in Chartres Cathedral, France. It was built in 1201 and still going strong. Other Gothic cathedrals had labyrinths, but theywere generally removed when the floors were renovated. Because of the high quality of the dense limestone found near Chartres, the floor is in excellent condition.
| The best-known version of the Chartres labyrinth in the United States is located at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The design they use for their portable canvas labyrinths has been adopted by most other churches. It has a few slight changes from the original design. These are explained on the order page (link below). Since we make all of the canvas Chartres labyrinths sold through Grace Cathedral, we are very familiar with that version, which is pictured here. |
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Due to its size, the canvas Chartres labyrinth is divided into three sections which are connected by Velcro. For ease of transport, each can be carried in its own canvas bag. The outer sections weigh about 30 pounds each, while the center section is about 40 pounds. One or two people can unfold and connect the Chartres labyrinth in ten minutes. The Velcro only fits together in one way, with the lines of the pattern showing the proper alignment.
Click here to see where the labyrinth will be made: Studio, and who will make it: Judy
To order a Chartres labyrinth, please click on the following link for a printable order sheet and a description of the various choices to be made. ORDER. You may go to this link just for information, as we do not have a shopping cart and you won't be obligating yourself in any way.