It is June 10 of the year 1194. In a few hours, the people of Chartre will wake up to the sound of crackling flames and the smell of thick black smoke. This is the night when much of Chartres will burn to the ground, but the devastation will also include the destruction of the Notre-Dame de Chartres church. Although parts of the church have survived to the present day, much of the original structure has been consumed or severely damaged (Harriss). In this article I will show the main differences between the Romanesque and Gothic styles respectively, and how existing Romanesque churches were converted to the new style. Nearly 400 miles south of Chartres is the charming city of Toulouse, France. Now home to one of the best-known Romanesque churches, Toulouse was once an important site for pilgrims traveling across Europe on their way to Old Saint-Pierre. From the Middle Ages through the Gothic period, the pilgrimage to Rome was less about the end result and more about the journey. Europe was dotted with dozens of pilgrimage churches, each housing precious relics that belonged to Christ, the Blessed Virgin and the saints. This difficult journey made it the ultimate way to atone for one's sins, especially if one was determined and visited all the good churches in Europe. And yet, the pilgrims were all united in attending mass in each church; wherever they were on the continent, the Eucharist was celebrated in Greek, then in Latin towards the end of the period (Fischer). In the case of Toulouse, it was the home of Saint-Sernin. Like most churches on the pilgrims' route, it was massive, capable of accommodating large numbers of pilgrims. This is wh...... middle of paper...... be congratulated. It was time for a change, as the French rushed to create the tallest cathedrals, thereby renewing their interest in their faith. And this is one of the reasons why these churches had to be recreated at these intervals. Renewing one's faith in God is indeed a precious thing. Works Cited Bishop, Philip E. Adventures in the Human Spirit. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc., 2011. Print. Fischer, Julia C. “Chartres Cathedral”. Fischer art history. Np, and Web. December 4, 2013. Harrisss, Joseph A. “Monument to the Age of Faith.” American Spectator 41.8 (2008): 68-70. Premier Academic Research. EBSCO. Internet. December 2, 2013. Macaulay, David. Cathedral: the history of its construction. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1973. Print “Stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral.” Chartres Cathedral. Chartrescathedral.net, nd Web. Dec 08.. 2013.