Abbey Church of St. Pierre in Chartres

So we were walking the 3k from the campground to the cathedral in Chartres, along the river Eure, minding our own business, just entering the old town when

What's that?!

And just a few blocks from the cathedral

It's the formerly Benedictine abbey church of St. Pierre in the
Valley; now a parish church (it said), seized in the
Revolution when the abbeys were abolished; it's tower is
10th century, the rest 12th and 13th, just a generation or so
younger than Chartres Cathedral

Wider view, from the north

Closer view of the tower, built when memories
of Viking raids were still quite fresh (the last
one in the 940s as I recall)

Archeological display in the tower

So anyhow we went in, despite strained eyes and wrenched
necks from nearly a day at the cathedral

And were rewarded with another unheralded surprise, a
rayonnant Gothic church, beautiful windows done presumably
by the same folks and workshops that did the cathedral's

Thus

And thus; note the elevation, aisle, blind
triforium, clerestory windows

Of course after a while you begin to notice the
nave is under a massive net; things are falling
down; just small things, let us hope

View from the choir back to the tower;
things may not have altogether fit...

Still, gorgeous 12th and 13th century windows

Still standing up

It must be tough to be just "another" Gothic in Chartres