Chartres

During our trip to Paris, Rollie and I took a one day bus tour to the Loire Valley, where we visited two of the many castles to be found there. Our first stop, however, was in the town of Chartres where we visited the famous cathedral, Notre Dame de Chartres (not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris, which I will write about on another post). This cathedral is magnificent. It was built in the thirteen century on a site where a cathedral had stood since the sixth century.

You have probably noticed the the two towers of the cathedral are not identical, one being a Gothic tower and the other being a plain Romanesque tower. Due to the fact that a fire destroyed part of the cathedral, one tower was rebuilt in a different century, with different architecture.

European cathedrals are very ornate. These sculptures are on the exterior of the building and represent Biblical people.

Chartres has been a stopping place for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for many centuries. These pilgrimages still take place today. On our way into Chartres we noticed a long procession of school children, singing and carrying flags, in celebration of the pilgrimages. Rollie and I were fortunate enough to be there on the weekend where this religious observance took place (once a year). School children from all over France walked in this procession. Rollie took several pictures for me because of the varied uniforms and outfits being worn. The French Boy Scouts were even there.

Stepping inside the cathedral you see the nave. The buttresses are incredible.

Below is the "pulpit", (not sure what the actual name is), where the priest would stand to speak. I have seen many scenes in French movies where these are used, and was interested to see one up close.

The stained glass and sculptures inside the catherdral are amazing as you will be able to tell from the photos. I learned something from these elaborate structures, which gave me a different perspective. I had always thought that the clergy of the Catholic church jealously guarded the Bible, and spoke only in Latin to keep the lay person ignorant. Perhaps some of that happened, but Chartres is an example of how the clergy wanted to share as much of the Bible as they could with those people who could not read. Throughout Chartres are many elaborate sculptures which depict the Biblical stories, and the stained glass windows intricate detail also teach the Bible visually. You could spend days in Chartres, "reading" the Bible.

Below is a picture of the floor, (and my feet). The floor is significant because you can see how worn it is from the pilgrimages. Chartres was one of the cathedrals that was a stopping place where the pilgrims actually spent the night. In the castles and palaces in France, much of the stone worked steps and flooring is polished smooth. And speaking of castles, there is still more to come.

Next blog we visit Amboise and Chenonceaux. A bientot!!