Sens And Its Cathedral, 2023

July 1st was our last day of touring in Europe for 2023. From La Ferte-Loupiere we continued toward Paris, stopping at Sens for a look at its cathedral, the first totally Gothic cathedral. We had visited Sens cathedral before, in 2013, on a gallop around the Ile de France, looking at nearly all the earliest Gothics. We had just finished The Great Courses series on Gothic cathedrals. We were impressed then and were now again. It's a beautiful city, Sens, and a great cathedral.

Old Sens...another wonderland of beautifully-carved
half-timbered buildings

The cathedral, begun in 1137, finished in the 13th
century; the design of the Master of Sens, who obviously
knew all about what Abbot Suger was doing at Saint-Denis

Organ and rose window

Cute devils; and proof I always take pix of the same
things

Becket window

Eustache window

Prodigal Son window

Chartres-like blue in the chancel

Rare dorsal view

Nice capitals here and there

The Celestial Concert window

Helpful map of what, when, and where; note
the tiny transepts, a later add-on

Moving right along, Sens' beautiful market hall, across the square

And its Mairie (city hall)

And a great city center park, near where we parked; rain had begun,
and it was time to move on...