Final answer:
Chartres Cathedral features stained glass windows, a Royal Portal, and a basilican layout characteristic of the evolutionary Gothic style, and it was historically central to education and worship during the Gothic period.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Chartres Cathedral, a masterful example of Gothic architecture, exhibits several distinguishing features that capture the essence of the Gothic style's evolution. The cathedral is known for its stained glass windows that fill the space with colorful light, a characteristic feature of Gothic churches. Additionally, Chartres boasts an elaborately sculpted Royal Portal that invites visitors into the church, with statues angled inward to funnel them towards the entrance. This front porch is shallower than those in later Gothic churches but still significant. The overall plan of the cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres represents a basilican layout customary to Gothic architecture, with a long nave leading to an apse and incorporating a transept crossing the nave. The site's history as a center of education and faith during the Gothic period, through the School of Chartres and the bishop's palace, further emphasizes its cultural and architectural importance.