Chartres

Chartres Cathedral.

 I was up early in the rain to head from Paris to Chartres about a 90-minute train trip southwest.  Chartres was founded by the Romans and was an important city as Europe emerged from the Dark Ages.  It had an established Cathedral School (before universities existed) and of course its cathedral.  The present cathedral is about 900 years old and is celebrated and studied because its rather intact through the ages.

Sanctuary, Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, Chartres.

During the Reformation, Chartres remained Catholic throughout and avoided the iconoclast that many other sites endured.  At the time of the French Revolution it was proclaimed a Temple of Enlightenment (a precursor to a museum) by the Revolutionary Government and was pretty much spared.  And in the last centuries avoided the ravages of those campaigns with its precious windows buried deep in the earth.  There was a close call when in WWII the Americans were supposed to bomb it thinking the Nazis were using it but after better reconnaissance it was seen as vacant and was spared.

Detail of Seat of Wisdom Window, Chartres Cathedral.

I arrived as the clouds stopped their rain and I was able to concelebrate the main Mass at 11AM.  Very nicely conducted with about 10 Altar Servers and five priests (I wasn’t the only visitor).  The Cathedral is being renovated and the Sanctuary is already complete.

Detail of Christ in Majesty - West Portal, Chartres.

After Mass I went for a lovely little lunch at a brassiere nearby and then checked into my Bed & Breakfast.  While I have been to Chartres about three or four times I never stayed overnight.   This allowed me to see the village and to revisit the cathedral when there were fewer tourists around.   In fact I was able to go for free concert at 4:30PM and then a “Musical Prayer Service” at 9:30PM.  At 10PM the ville had its Chartres Illuminated experience where about ten of the historic buildings here were lit up in a funky fashion some accompanied by music.

Stained Glass Window, Chartres.

Up early to concelebrate the first Mass on Monday and to enjoy the cathedral before the crowds arrived, in one sense the highlight of the trip was the cathedral tour given my Malcolm Miller.  An Englishman who has been in Chartres for over fifty years now, he is an authority on the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady de Chartres.  He gave two enjoyable talks at 12PM and 2:45PM on Monday.  I have heard him before but it is always fascinating to hear him.   He has been on TV and comes to the States for talks as well.  These are not my first lectures of his that I have attended but he is kind of a staple of Chartres; he would say a relic.

Medieval Timber House, Chartres.

After a coffee to it and take in the views one last time it was back on the train to Paris to begin my packing.   I leave early Wednesday for my return home!

Cathedral facade, Chartres.