Chartres Cathedral

Sunday, the day of rest.  In Paris and most of France, shops are closed, but not churches, museums, and restaurants.  Our class rested and made little adventures out into the snow, which fell lightly throughout the day.  The cold was not too much of a bother, but is much different than the high-40s weather we were having back in London earlier in the month.

I decided to attend church at Chartres Cathedral, 60 miles SW of Paris by train. It is quite easy to get there; you take the Metro to Gare Montparnasse, and then take a regional SNCF train to Chartres, which takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  It was quiet and snowy in Chartres, with town residents worshipping at 11:00 a.m.  After that, I had the large gothic cathedral mostly to myself for several hours in the early afternoon.  (Those who know me well will appreciate what a treat this was for me.)

The worship service was in French, and followed the Roman Catholic liturgy. Today was a celebration of ecumenical relations at Chartres, and there was also a baptism. The gospel reading recounted Jesus' first miracle at Cana, and there was a hymn written by Michael Pratorius, a favorite of Lutherans who was court composer in Wolfenbuettel, Germany, where I complete research every few years.

Chartres Cathedral was established in the 9th century, but significantly expanded in the 13th century, under the sway of gothic architecture as it became the fashion and technically possible in the 1200s. Untouched by the French Revolution and the various wars that have come and gone, Chartres continues to display Europe's most extensive collection of medieval stained glass.  In all, there is about 27,000 square feet of original 13th-century stained glass depicting scenes from the Bible and especially the life of Jesus. (Few French rulers are commemorated here; it is largely a sacred space and pilgrimage site, containing relics related to the Virgin Mary.)

The cathedral is kept dark and quiet, so that pilgrims and visitors can peacefully walk around and examine the glass, architecture, altars, and curious labyrinth, which is a big attraction and encourages worshipers to leave the world behind and walk the pilgrim's path to a closer relationship with God. When you walk the labyrinth, you are safe from the outside world; and you can stay as long as you like when you finally find the center.

Not everything in the cathedral is medieval; there are some restored areas and a baroque altar and sculpture in the center, which were masterpieces but a bit out of place, that is if you are on a medieval quest.

Outside is just as impressive.  As you'll see in my photos, it was very romantic in the snow.  I had a delicious bowl of [French] onion soup afterwards in a cute local bistro, then walked around the town a little and returned to Paris on the train.  Riding through the countryside seemed like something from Dr. Zhivago, which my wife and I enjoy watching from time to time!

Enjoy the photos from medieval Chartres! (click to enlarge and study)

Tomorrow our class journeys back to England and will be spending a little less than a week in Cambridge.

Mike H.