This photo shows an example of the stained glass windows inside the Cathedral. Chartres was begun in the 1130's on the site of an earlier cathedral and was dedicated by King Louis IX in 1260. In addition to its size and external beauty, Chartres is famous for its stained glass windows created in the 12th and 13th centuries. These windows illustrate many of the stories of the New Testament, and were a means of teaching the Bible and the faith to people who could not read.