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THE TABERNACLE
Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth
Medieval Christianity
A circular labyrinth set into the nave floor in 1205, 12.9 meters in diameter. A single winding path leads to a six-petaled rose at the center. It is not a maze — there are no wrong turns, only the long way around.
Significance A substitute pilgrimage to Jerusalem — penitents walked it on their knees. The path is 261.5 meters long. The chairs that normally cover it are removed on certain Fridays, and the labyrinth reappears like something surfacing from deep water.
What Survives Original 13th-century stones in the nave floor of Chartres Cathedral, France. Often hidden under chairs.