We set off from Brussels on a Friday morning and made excellent time to the outskirts of Paris, stopping at a roadside aire (rest stop) for a picnic lunch. We ended up eating inside the car due to a burst of inclement weather, but still managed to have a nice break.
Car picnic!
Troy stretching his legs after the rain passed
The traffic going through Paris was tellement horrible, and set us behind schedule by an hour. Luckily, we still had enough time to pay a nice visit to La Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres before we had to be at the B&B for dinner.
Now if there's one thing that Europe has plenty of it's churches, and Troy and I have seen our fair share. So when we say that Chartres was one of the most amazing churches we have ever seen, that should give you an idea of its specialness. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, there has been a church on the site of Chartres since the 4th century! The 'modern' Chartres Cathedral dates from 1230 A.D and has incorporated remnants from the buildings that preceded it, all of which are in amazingly good condition.
Truly an architectural masterpiece, Chartres has an arresting exterior with interesting mis-matched towers, flying buttresses, gargoyles, and intricate stone statuary.
The 16th Century Gothic North Tower (at left) and the 12th Century Romanesque South Tower (at right)
The South Tower, c1140, survived the fire that destroyed the earlier Romanesque church
Flying buttresses, a significant medieval architectural development, help distribute the load of the heavy walls and vaulted ceilings
Intricate statuary decorates the entire exterior, even way up on the roof structure
The cathedral is presently undergoing an interior restoration, which principally consists of a thorough cleaning. The bright, cleaned stonework stands in stark contrast to those areas still awaiting restoration. One can just imagine the light, airy feeling the cathedral will have once the cleaning has been finished. It will be stunning.
Looking up at the ceiling over the chapel of Mary, contrasted with the yet-to-be-cleaned ceiling of the adjacent vault
The restored choir literally glows
Not just an architectural marvel, Chartres has been the home of the Sancta Camisia (Sacred 'Tunic' of the Virgin Mary) since 876, which miraculously survived the huge fire of 1194 that destroyed the Romanesque basilica. This has made the cathedral a major pilgrimage site for centuries. And, while all of that is interesting, I haven't even told you yet about the truly outstanding feature of Chartres: Its stained glass windows are all original!
Let that sink in for a moment -- some of the stained glass in this cathedral is ±1000 years old! Probably the most famous piece of stained glass at Chartres is the so-called "Blue Virgin", an incredibly vivid window that dates to c 1150. It survived the huge fire of 1194, and its intense colors are truly incredible.
The Blue Virgin occupies the center panels of this window
As amazing and old as the Blue Virgin is, the rest of the stained glass is nearly as ancient and just as impressive.
The South Rose Window is 35 feet in diameter and dates to c1225 A.D.!
View across the transept to the North Rose Window, c1235 A.D.
In addition to obviously careful maintenance over the years, a key factor in the windows' survival was the dedication of the townspeople who painstakingly dismantled and carefully stored each piece of each window during both World Wars. Just...wow.
Chartres Cathedral is one of the coolest historical sites we have ever seen, and is one that we would gladly visit again. It would be great to see the cathedral interior after the restoration has been completed, so hopefully we will have the chance...
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