Centre international du Vitrail
Stained-glass museum in Chartres, housed in the Gothic cellar of Loëns, with a collection of Renaissance stained glass and a training centre.
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About the museum
The Centre international du Vitrail occupies the Loëns enclosure, which belonged to the chapter of Chartres Cathedral and lay outside the cloister. The three-gabled ground-floor building was the tithe barn, where tithes and rents were paid in kind. Its vaulted basement, the former cellar, is one of the most remarkable Gothic cellars in France: three naves, 21 ribbed vault bays and 12 capitalled columns, which its pointed arches date to around 1200, under Philip Augustus.
During the Revolution the hall was called the Maison de Conciliation, and was then used as a military store. After the invention of the cinematograph in 1895, it became a cinema where films by the Lumière brothers were shown. It later served as a municipal warehouse until the end of the 20th century. The building is listed as a historic monument.
The Centre opened in 1980, after the restoration of the building, inaugurated by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and founder Pierre Firmin-Didot. It combines a museum, with 70 authentic Renaissance stained-glass panels, and a training centre for stained-glass crafts, which also offers courses, leisure workshops and visits to the cathedral’s stained glass.
Highlights
- Seventy authentic Renaissance stained-glass panels
- Gothic cellar of Loëns from around 1200, with ribbed vaults
- Thematic route through stained-glass techniques
- Teaching room on the stained glass of Chartres Cathedral
- Stained-glass courses and workshops for adults and children
Permanent exhibitions
- Vitraux de la Renaissance – Permanent collection of seventy authentic Renaissance stained-glass panels.
- Parcours thématique sur les techniques du vitrail – A route traces the history of stained-glass techniques, from their origins to today.
- Salle pédagogique sur les vitraux de la cathédrale – Models and diagrams of the stained glass of Chartres Cathedral, to help identify the scenes depicted.
- Founded
- 1980
- Director
- Jean-François Lagier
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.50 |
| Groups | –Group, school and workshop rates are listed on the relevant pages of the website. |
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Holiday courses for children, leisure workshops and educational visits for school groups.
Getting there & parking
A downloadable 3D access map is available on the Centre’s website.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum bookshop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group visits to the museum and to the cathedral’s stained glass, with demonstrations of traditional techniques in the museum’s workshop. Programmes for schools, from preschool to lower secondary. |
