Chartres Cathedral burns

June 10, 1194

A devastating fire consumed most of the cathedral except the western facade, the crypt, and the tunic of the Virgin, which the townspeople considered miraculously spared. The bishop immediately launched rebuilding in the new Gothic style. The resulting structure would set the template for High Gothic. The rebuilding was financed by donations from across France, as the cult of the Virgin at Chartres drew pilgrims whose offerings funded the most ambitious Gothic cathedral yet attempted.