Vicki finished up early enough at Chenonceaux for us to drive over to Bourges that same day and see its great Cathedral of St. Etienne. We had visited Bourges on one of our first visits to France and remembered it as a knock-out. It is in that first generation of classic Gothics, along with Chartres, Amiens, and a few others. It was begun in the late 12th century and finished in the mid-13th. But Bourges is unusual in several respects, all of which make it even more interesting. It is not a
Mary cathedral, for one thing, despite that great age of the
Mary cult. And its shape is more the traditional Roman basilica, not the cruciform shape one sees almost everywhere else. Bourges cathedral is also seemingly much larger than many of the others, and higher. It has a nave and
two aisles on either side, and thus five great halls. And portals. The additional aisles support extra tiers of blind triforia and then also extra tiers of windows. It's hard to convey this in either words or pictures. One has to be there and walk around the place, in wonder and awe, as was no doubt what was intended. I had not seen a
real Gothic in some months and so was quite taken by it all.
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| Classic view;OK, there's some roofing going on |
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| The great thing about not having a transept is you can see all the buttressing... |
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| Another helpful model |
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| Inside: the height and width are astounding |
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An aisle; this would be a whole Gothic church in some
places; at Bourges it is one of four such aisles |
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Elevation: aisle, triforium, windows, 2nd triforium, 2nd
windows |
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| Interior and color from the great high windows |
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| Thus, over the apse |
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| Altar |
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| High triforium and windows |
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| Outside, the west facade and its five portals; more than my poor lens can capture! |
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Central portal, as became the custom: the Day
of Judgment; Vicki, ominously, at Jesus' left |
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| A great Hell... |
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| And many other great bits: Noah's Ark |
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| Eve chatting with her serpent friend |
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And, something we have come to look for and enjoy: a bit of Medieval social history:
wine-making |
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| And grape crushing |
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| And maybe too much tasting |
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| And some great, intact, jamb statues |
