The two towers on the west end of the Chartres Cathedral represent both gothic and romaesque styles in achitecture. They both sit on opposite sides of the west entrance to the cathedral surrounding the three portals, yet they were built three centuries apart. Despite this lapse in time the Chartres is known as one of the few complete cathedrals.

The first tower to be built was the south tower (right tower from front view), it is built in an early gothic, or romanesque style. It was furnished in the twelfth century along with the majority of the cathedral. The reason this south tower is so different from the north is because in 1194 a fire burnt down most of the cathedral and surrounding town. Because of this fire most of the cathedral, including the north tower, had to be rebuilt.

The origonal south tower is easily distinguished as romanesque...