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 |
1 comment:
How beautiful! We have missed this one.
Post a Comment