Chartres

One of our favorite easy day trips from Paris is to see Chartres Cathedral. It is about an hour on the train and we rode right by the gardens of Versailles. My cousin Shauna and her daughter Anna came to visit in early March for 10 days, which gave us enough time to spend a day in Chartres. An added bonus was that Kelly was able to sneak away from his researching and writing and come with us.

Kelly, Anna and Shauna with Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral was built during the 12th and 13th centuries. It is the high point of French Gothic art and contains the most original stained glass windows. Chartres is on the ancient Saint Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage trail that ended in Spain. The Cathedral truly is a marvel and the best preserved example of Gothic art.

Kelly and me

Kelly at Chartres Cathedral

The stained glass windows date from the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the oldest and my favorite is the Jesse Tree. It is under the rose window over the façade of the cathedral. The cathedral is famous for the vivid blue color of its window, especially in this window representing Christ as a descendant of Jesse. You can see the tree coming out of Jesse lying down in the bottom window and leading through the generations up to Christ at the top of the window. This window is truly divine.

Jesse Tree

West Façade with Jesse Tree on the Right

A lot of cleaning and restoration work has been done over the past 10 years. It has made such a difference. We could hear the workers banging away on one closed section on the south side while they were there. It is wonderful to see the stone and windows cleaned and restored. The windows really sparkle.

The nave

Ambulatory Choir carvings

Ambulatory carvings

Zodiac Window

The carved scenes of the life of Mary and Christ along the choir wall in the ambulatory were begun in the 1600s and took 200 years to complete. They just finished cleaning them-it took seven years.

Creation of Adam and Eve
The Good Samaritan

Another favorite window is the one that depicts the stories of the creation and fall of Adam and Eve and the Good Samaritan. Often in the cathedrals stories from the Old and New Testament are paired in stained glass windows or with sculpture. This is done to draw parallels and connections between the stories, as in this window, which shows how Christ's parable of the the Good Samaritan symbolizes the story of Adam and Eve.

On the north side of the cathedral some of my favorite statues flank the doors. The first grouping starts with Melchizedek, then Abraham holding Isaac about to be sacrificed, standing on a lamb caught in the thicket. Next is Moses holding the tablet with the Ten Commandments and then Samuel and David.

Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Samuel and David

John the Baptist and Peter, far right

John the Baptist is the second statue from the right above. He has on a "hairy" robe. To the right of him is Peter who is always depicted holding keys-the keys to the kingdom of God.

Portion of the Labyrinth

Also inside the church is a labyrinth. It dates from the 13th century. It represents the long and winding path towards salvation. Often those who could not make the long pilgrimages would make a symbolic pilgrimage on their knees, following the path of the labyrinth in the church. 

Chartres is such a cute little town. We wandered down to the main square to find a warm place to each lunch. The skies were clear and blue and we just about froze in the cathedral. Tradition has it that it is always cold when we visit Chartres. Even when we went in July in 2014 there was a fluke cold snap. 

Kelly, Anna and Shauna on the Chartres streets

Half-Timber Building

View of the Cathedral

Shauna had read about another church in Chartres to visit called Église Saint-Aignan. It was built in the 17th century.

Kelly at Saint-Aignan

This church obviously did not have the care and repairs of Chartres Cathedral but it was a sweet gem of a church. It was very colorful.

Nave of Saint-Aignan

Inside of Front Doors

The stained glass windows were more modern--mostly from the 19th century--and easier to read.

Window depicting Christ's birth and life

There were two statues I admired. One was Joseph holding the Christ child and the other Joan of Arc.

Joseph holding Christ

Joan of Arc

We continued walking around the town and visited the Cathedral one more time. 

We found some sunshine in the town square near the Hôtel de Ville. We sat and watched the children on the Merry-Go-Round and soaked up the sun before catching our train home to Paris. It was a perfect day with my cousins.