Labyrinth Church Floor

It s bulky and a little awkward.

Labyrinth church floor.

At 42 feet in diameter the circular chartres labyrinth is the largest of its kind to have been constructed in the middle ages. The chartres labyrinth is composed of eleven circuits or paths and is divided into four quadrants clearly defined by a cross. The labyrinth was the shape of a complex square with cut corners and sides of 10 36 metres 11 33 yd. The cathedral chairs cover the most part of the labyrinth.

This stone laid labyrinth was built in the floor of the church around 1200. The work on the labyrinth set in the stone floor of the cathedral s nave probably took place during the last six years of building. Now i can say to you that if you enter chartres cathedral from the royal portal you will be able to see the labyrinth on floor in the center of the nave. The most famous european labyrinth is the great one set into the floor of chartres cathedral measuring over 40 across.

I started by measuring where my centre was and making a chalk mark there. It is one of many for matthews 2 lists twenty three in churches without including the many open air labyrinths and mazes made of stones or cut into the turf of ireland britain and scandinavia. The labyrinth of the reims cathedral was a church labyrinth installed on the floor of the nave of the reims cathedral. Thought to be a representation of.

Chartres labyrinth was built from limestone in early 13th century. Once the dropcloths were sewn together i drew the outline of the labyrinth with chalk. This transition from secular to sacred may have been incidental as culture found its way into the church 2 or an intentional choice by the church to use the mythological symbol as allegory 3. The labyrinth in the floor of the nave at chartres cathedral in france is the most well known of the medieval designs and is the pattern used in the canvas replicas at washington national cathedral.