Chartres’ International Stained Glass Centre launches AI app, immersive room, and open database to decode 176 medieval windows for 1M+ visitors.
Newsroom (10/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) The International Stained Glass Centre (CIV) in Chartres is harnessing artificial intelligence to unlock the biblical narratives embedded in the cathedral’s 176 stained-glass windows, a UNESCO World Heritage treasure spanning 2,600 square meters. The initiative, titled “From Casket to Screen,” merges medieval craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to make the world’s largest surviving collection of 13th-century stained glass accessible to modern audiences.
Every year, Chartres Cathedral draws over one million visitors, including 400,000 international tourists, many captivated by the windows’ luminous beauty yet challenged by their complex iconography. Without intuitive guides, most rely on printed booklets or human interpreters. The CIV, established in 1980, addresses this gap through a €250,000 project funded by public grants, private sponsors like Saint-Gobain, and a €10,000 crowdfunding drive on KissKissBankBank.
The project rests on three pillars. First, a free mobile application—available in French, English, and German—uses deep-learning image recognition to identify any window from a smartphone photo, regardless of lighting or angle. Functioning offline, the app draws from a database of 4,000 high-definition images cataloging 5,000 characters and 700 biblical scenes. Users can zoom into details, read corresponding scripture, and save favorites, transforming phones into portable catechisms. With 92% of French children owning smartphones, the CIV positions the tool as an educational bridge for families, pilgrims, and schools.
Second, an immersive digital room in the CIV’s museum, housed in the former Gothic cellar of Loëns, features eight high-resolution totems. Visitors can explore windows post-cathedral tour, watch explanatory videos, and study construction techniques. Dedicated zones accommodate children and people with reduced mobility.
Third, an open-source database compiles iconographic, historical, and technical data, freely shared with researchers. Partnerships with Sorbonne University, École nationale des chartes, CNRS, and the Institute for Heritage Research aim to create the first digital encyclopedia of stained glass, with potential rollout to other European cathedrals.
Development runs from late 2024 to early 2025, targeting a summer 2026 launch. The CIV, recognized by DRAC Centre-Val de Loire and supported by local authorities, annually hosts 42,000 visitors, trains 2,500 glassmaking interns, and mounts international exhibitions.
François Bousquet, a scientific committee member, frames the effort philosophically: “The light in the stained-glass windows changes throughout the day, but it always reveals the mystery. By making it more legible, artificial intelligence doesn’t replace faith; it extends its contemplation.”
By digitizing sacred light, “From Casket to Screen” fulfills stained glass’s original role—to teach and inspire—ensuring Chartres’ medieval stories illuminate 21st-century screens.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Tribune Chretienne
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