Paris1972-Versailles2003

Let me update this older post on one of the magnificent monuments of my belle France. Funny I look at my pictures and posts and got to notice I/we tend to post mostly from the areas we live in and once we moved we forget the old places. I think this is the case with Chartres in dept 28 of Eure et Loir in the Centre Val de Loire region. It is about 125 km from my current town; and 75 km from Versailles.

However, the main thing in Chartres is one of the grand cathedrals of France and one I had the priviledge of going to its basement to see wonders not shown to the general public on a tour from the Château de Versailles! Love it!Therefore, let me tell you my bit on the Notre Dame Cathedral of Chartres! 

I come to you again from my vault and early blogging back in 2011!  This time, let me tell you about Chartres. And for clarity this is the official site of the Notre Dame Cathedral: http://www.cathedrale-chartres.org/en/,143.html

The Notre Dame Cathedral of Chartres is the best example of gothic art in France! Work on it began in 1120, but the biggest construction period took part from 1194 to 1260.  It is about 131 meters long by 46 meters wide with a general dimension of 5 200 square meters; at the transept it is 63 meters and the nave height is 37 meters and a width of 16 meters!  The main façade 30 meters long has 719 statues depicting the life of Jesus most of them of Roman style. The central window and highest has a rosary  of 11,5 meters a fine gallery of the 13C with niches of 15 grand statues of kings with a space with a statue of the Virgin and on top a colossal praying Christ .

The bells are impressive as well. the one on the right called the old bell is 106,5 meters high is modest with little décor but nice proportions and was finished in 1145; the other on the left called thje new bell 115 meters high was finished in periods of  1506-1507 and 1514, to replace the wooden bell that was burn by a lightning in 1506.

I found me an older pic from my vault and rather than a new post, will include on this older post (see newer post). This is the Virgin Notre Dame du Pilier !  This is a statue in walnut or pear tree formerly polychrome, placed on an octagonal base; statue wearing a head veil and dressed in a piece of fabric, placed on the front and tied with two laces around the Virgin’s neck, a small piece of fabric is also tied around the neck of the Child Jesus. Virgin and Child seated on a throne, the Virgin presents a pear in the right hand, the Child Jesus blesses with the right hand and holds the ball with the other hand.

The stained glass of Chartres numbering 176, covers 1350 objects from the Old Testament and the New Testament ; from the life of Saints, martyrs, popes, bishops and priests to representation of orders with their emblems that help construct or embellish the Cathedral. As you enter the Cathedral on the left see the statue of the Black Virgin done from the 16C and greatly venerated today.

The Chartres tourist office on the cathedral: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/do-not-miss/the-chartres-cathedral/history-of-chartres-cathedral

And if I have not convince you come here at least once in your lifetime, maybe the Chartres tourist office will:why see Chartres’cathedral: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/do-not-miss/the-chartres-cathedral/why-chartres

And the city of Chartres on the Cathedral and other things to see in French: https://www.chartres.fr/patrimoine-historique/notre-dame-de-chartres/

The Notre Dame Cathedral alone is worth the visit to Chartres, but there is more if you read my old posts. Enjoy the reading of a nice town and beautiful Cathedral of France and the world.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

So here I am on a bit of a black and white series again to tell you a sort of introduction to the historical city of Orléans! Of course, this is an update of an older post which again brings back many nice family visits. Hope you enjoy Orléans as we do.

A while back I wrote in my blog about this wonderful town of Orleans. Pictures elsewhere in my blog on its many posts. It is often overlook but it is loaded of the great history of France. Easiest way to get here is on the A10 from Paris direction Bordeaux or the train with two stations ,the gare d’Orléans, right in city center and very nice and the one on the nearby northern town of Fleury-les-Aubrais, both link by bus navette and a tramway.

Public transport TAO network in the area of Orléans métropole and connections between the train stations are: https://www.reseau-tao.fr/index.php

Orléans has been designated as the Capital of the new region of Centre-Val-de-Loire been only about 120 km from Paris. The city is nice ,really, if overlook by many visitors, very good ambiance. The city center around the place du Martroi, is wonderful central square where all goes on; the Loire river passes right in the center, the quais or wharfs along the river are full of walkers and meeting place to go into exploring the city ; also the site of the great Festival de Loire, the biggest gathering in Europe on river cruising (next schedule Sept 22-26 2021). Of course, it is also a city of art and history of France or  Ville d’Art et d’Histoire; it is a stage for the bicycle riders in the circuit Loire à vélo, and at the gate to the castles of the valley of the Loire. The story of  Jeanne d’Arc was what brought me first to this city and it is wonderful for the history lover like me.  The city has nice Christmas market and Jazz by the Bishop event as well as the magnificent Festival of Jeanne d’Arc.

As the circuit of Joan of Arc or Jeanne d’Arc is to follow these monuments.sites (some with separate post in my blog). Place du Martroi, Hôtel Groslot, fine arts museum or musée de Beaux-Arts, Cathédrale Sainte Croix, hotel Cabu or the museum of history and archeology ; Chapelle Notre Dame des Miracles in the Church St Paul; rue Jeanne d’Arc,  the ramparts of the city from the 15C , it had one there since the 4C! and was enlarged in the 14C with some walls left still . You have the white tower or Tour Blanche  and a section of the Roman curtain, more on the north the wall is seen on the court or cour de l’ancien évêché  and near the Cathedral ; there is a bridge giving to the square or  porte du Martroi that still be seen in the parking under the square. To extreme west of the square martroi you see parts of the wall as well on the streets or rue du Cloître-Saint-Paul ,and rue de la Chèvre-qui-Danse. Of course , the main thing is the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc or house of Joanne of Arc. She stayed here from April to May 1429 and now a nice museum with a multimedia presentation retracing her life. On the upper floors there is a recherché center with over 37000 documents on her. (see post).

Of course, Orléans is a lot older since the times of Cenabum ! going thru all the periods of French history, too long to tell you here. Stronghold of the war of 1870 with the Prussians and during WWII the city was again ransacked and bombed until liberated on August 1944 by the troops of Gen Patton, US 3rd Army. On the other side of the Atlantic ocean, New Orleans is named in honor of the regent duke of Orleans for Louis XV and inhabited with about 8K French and Arcadians running away from the British in the Northeast USA.

Other information to tell you about this city is the nice park or Parc Pasteur by the northern corners of the city center created in 1927 over the old workers garden that were on a disinfected cemetery of Saint Vincent.  There is a monumental gate of Saint Samson from the 17C a great water basin, even if the children theater, and vapor train are no longer in action (train given by  Wichita Kansas USA in 1952) unfortunately both were closed in 2017. Another nice park is  Parc Floral de la  Source , bigger than above with an iris garden, rose garden, rock garden,  vegetable garden, dahlia garden, Asian garden, grassland garden, tropical garden, strips of perennials, collections of pelargoniums, a display of fuchsias, animal park, exotic birds, butterfly house, animal feeding and adventure playgrounds for younger visitors..etc.

Anyway, the main thing to come to this city other than walking the wharfs of the Loire river are the house and traces of Joanne of Arc ,and the Cathedral of Sainte Croix.(see post). The Cathedral  was inaugurated on 8th May 1829, 400 years after the liberation of Orléans by Jeanne d’Arc on a gothic style of 140 meters long, 53 meters façade and 114 meters on the spiral tower.

Most of the information here is taken from the wonderful regional site of Orléans Metropôle here in English: https://www.orleans-metropole.fr/decouvrir-la-metropole-orleanaise#googtrans(fr|en)

The dept 45 Loiret tourist office in French on Orléans: https://www.tourismeloiret.com/fr/decouvrir/les-incontournables-made-loiret/orleans-la-chatoyante

There you go folks,hope you have enjoy the post on the historical wonderful city of Orléans , in my belle France.  And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!