Description: One cannot do justice to this medieval city awashed with tradition and history for ages unless one stays here for at least a couple of days. One cannot be fair to the white stonework, now blackened with age and in some cases eroded by chemical activity unless one has enough time to taste the craftsmanship and digest the artistic masterpieces that were handmade by generations of masons, artists, sculptors and stained-glass makers. One can never feel the veritable atmosphere of tranquillity, awe, holiness and mysticism that Chartres imparts unless one sleeps here.
The peaceful atmosphere, the feeling of tradition and antiquity, the religiosity and fervent devotion that are still living symbols of Chartres contrast strongly with the hustle and bustle of Paris, and yet Chartres is only 60 miles southwest of the capital. Easily and frequently accessible by train from Paris Montparnasse station, Chartres can be reached from Paris in about 70 minutes. The train station and bus station in Chartres are near each other on Place Paul Senard, a commercial area that abounds with boutiques, restaurants and offices. From either station, a ten-minute walk southeast on Avenue Jehan de Beauce leads straight to Place Chatelet. From here, Rue de Cheval Blanc brings you in a few minutes to Place de la Cathedrale where the tourist office and most of the attractions are located.
Once here, in front of this gigantic structure of religious symbolism, architectural achievement and monumental glory, one cannot help feeling one’s successes in life, whatever they are, dwarfed and minusculed when compared to this impressive place of worship. What you see in front of you is the predominating west front elevation, a gracefully ornamented structure that is 100 years older than the rest of the present cathedral. An earlier Romanesque basilica stood here before the present Gothic edifice was built but this was destroyed by fire in 1194. The west frontal view you see from Place de la Cathedrale was not destroyed and was fittingly incorporated into the new building. Perfectly preserved in its original plan and details, it includes exquisite sculpted triple portals that architecture connoisseurs will find interesting both for their unusual stone carvings as well as for the way Romanesque and Gothic features are incorporated jointly in the design.
On getting closer to the west front, one notices the elegant and elongated statues of Old Testament personalities that fill in the colonnaded recesses of the west front triple doorways. Explore as well the heavily-sculpted tympanums above the doorways, particularly the scene of the Last Judgement depicted on the central tympanum. The sculptures on the stonework that frames the tympanums and the bas-reliefs on the friezes just above the doorways are surprisingly detailed and unbelievably intact. The three-section Romanesque windows above the portals and the huge rose window on the uppermost level, filled in with a skeleton of interweaved stonework complete the picture.
One architectural curiosity that renders the west front of Chartres Cathedral asymmetrical is the dissimilar structural design of the two bell towers. Having escaped the devastating fire of 1194, the Old Bell Tower, known as the Clocher Vieux has plain Romanesque features with no intricate carvings. The New Bell Tower, the Clocher Neuf, adorned with an intricately carved Gothic spire was built in the sixteenth century and is more artistically and aesthetically dominating. The Old Tower is closed to visitors but you can climb up the long spiral stairway to the viewing platform of the New Tower for a wonderful view. Admire from here the Cathedral’s vast copper roof, turned green by weathering. Besides a view of Chartres with its twisting river below and its underlying rows of old houses, one can view the landscape further away. I visited when the weather was fine and the visibility perfect and I could get a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, 60 miles away.
Equally artistic and impressive with regards to design, architectural details and Gothic features, the north and south elevations of the Cathedral at Chartres are an extreme example of magnificence and symbolism. The deep covered porch that shelters the three doorways of the north transept is loaded with statues of Old Testament prophets on the side archways and with statues of the Virgin Mary and her newly born son on the central arch. Similar to the north elevation, the south elevation has another deep porch sheltering the doorways. This obviously extends the space available for sculptural embellishment and other additional ornamental work. In fact this three-arched porch is again loaded with hundreds of scenes from Christ’s life, passion and crucifixion together with secondary scenes that expose in detail the life of the apostles and early Christian martyrs.
To do credit to this colossus of architecture and magnificence, one must necessarily spend at least two hours to visit its interior. The unbroken view from the western end from where you enter to the choir at the eastern side gives an impression of spaciousness and vastness. Turn your eyes towards the plain-based clustered columns that support the ribbed vaulting and then direct your eyes towards the ceiling where these ribbed vaults meet. You cannot but confirm that this three-storey structure is an edifice of gargantuan proportions and imposing dimensions.
But the most impressive section of the Cathedral’s interior is the vaulted ambulatory that encloses the choir and the sanctuary. Encircled by a magnificently carved screen sculpted in stone by master craftsmen and embellished by a series of panelled scenes from the life of Christ, it is one of the most impressive works of art in the Cathedral. Around the ambulatory, one finds three domed chapels of considerable size and several other smaller chapels, each one containing particular attractions and several artefacts worthy of note.
The highlight of your visit to the Cathedral at Chartres must necessarily include an inspection of the wonderful richly-coloured stained-glass windows that illuminate its interior with an array of coloured radiance. You can never see them all since the Cathedral houses 176 windows spread on two levels and around the ambulatory. Definitely worthy of inspection for their historical value are three windows that date back to the Romanesque era and are installed under the rose window on the west façade; another Romanesque window known as the ‘Belle Verriere’ is found along the ambulatory aisle adjacent to the south transept.
The windows on the lower level, each composed of a central wide panelled section and two smaller panelled sections at the sides are the most beautiful. The blue tone repeated in most panels and known as Chartres blue is enhanced with traces of red. This together with other contrasting colours, bright yellow and green in particular, render the Biblical narratives they represent more vivid and comprehensible. On no account should one miss the two rose windows that light up the north and south transepts. These are definitely a superb example of exquisite craftsmanship, particularly in the use and manipulation of vivid colours.
If you stay in Chartres for more than one day, you will usually get the opportunity to attend an organ recital or an evening of choir singing in the Cathedral. The sound is ethereal, the atmosphere is one of awe and mysticism.
Summer nights on Place de la Cathedrale are special and unforgettable. The square facing the west front of the Cathedral changes into a venue of coloured shadows and moving reflections when rotating lights scan the façade, creating a fantastic effect and an ambience of entertainment.
The Cathedral is definitely not the sole attraction in Chartres. The narrow streets of the old city centre east of the Cathedral slope down to the banks of the river Eure. A walk along steep Rue de Bourg and its continuation Rue Porte Guillaume leads one to a place where the river branches out into three water canals. Several footbridges span the river branches and lead to shady areas that abound with trees and greenery, ideal for a summer picnic. Of particular interest are Rue de la Foulerie and Rue de la Tannerie, both of which border the westernmost branch of the river. If you walk north from here, you will meet several old buildings, mostly restored remnants of structures formerly used by riverside tradesmen. Further north along Rue de la Tannerie, you will reach Collegiale St-Andre, an unrestored Romanesque abbey that suffered severe damages during World War II. From here, a flight of steps leads you to the Cathedral’s back garden.
The narrow streets south of the Cathedral abound with specialized shops and restaurants. On Rue de Changes and Rue de la Pie, one finds excellent patisseries and boulangeries that serve baguettes, delicious desserts and much more. The covered market on Place Billard has several food stalls, ideal for those on a shoestring. On Cloitre Notre Dame, one finds shops that sell a wide range of Chartres souvenirs and religious items. Look for stained-glass replicas that try to imitate the real thing with precision.
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