And I was back to the venerable Chartres! Many years long ago we used to come here a lot from our home in Versailles;then we stop. Several years went by and I decided to make it a run again as a memorable trip without my dear late wife Martine. There is so much here will take several posts indeed.
I will spare the history as plenty in my other posts on Chartres and will tell you about some monuments that we passed by and enjoy it. See the post on the must here,the Cathedral next. Hope you enjoy as we!
The first thing we did was find parking at the parking Cathédrale, great all middle of the day for 4,50€! 352 spaces open 7/7 at the Place Châtelet very easy parking we paid 4,50 euros for the day including lunch time. Q-Park network on the parking: https://www.q-park.fr/en-gb/cities/chartres/cathedrale/
And then, we walked under a light rain to our memorable eating place still there!! Créperie des 3 Lys by Porte Guillaume! This is Breton specialties of course; still nice welcome and great food! Its half-timbering and beams undoubtedly give it character; the decoration and the subdued lights take care of the rest … A warm welcome and great food this time I had the galette porte guillaume and the banana split with the first a bottle of Kerisac cider brut and with the later a Kerisac cider doux ! There are new owners but the food and service stayed the same; we will be back. webpage: https://www.creperie-chartres.com
The Porte Guillaume is an old gate destroyed by the retreating Nazis army during the night of August 15 to 16, 1944. The first Porte Guillaume was built at the end of the 12C; it is then one of the gates of the enclosure surrounding the city of Chartres. It bears the name of Guillaume de Ferrières, vidame de Chartres; the gate was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15C, probably in 1414-1415. Around the middle of the 15C, a barbican was built; it is pentagonal in shape with access from the south. Access is off-center to avoid direct fire on the door. A dormant bridge allows entry into the barbacan. To the north, two archers with splayed under the vault flank the ditch. We came by here to eat at the above resto! sublime. Right crossing the eure river we see the canals between the houses in this part of old Chartres!
The monument aux morts or Monument to the dead by the cathedral parking garage. This monument is dedicated to the memory of the children of Eure-et-Loir who died during the war of 1870-71. It was erected at the Esplanade de la Resistance in 1901. It is made up of a 10-meter-high stone arch from Evville (Lorraine) behind a 12-meter-wide rounded basin fed by 2 lion’s heads. Under the arch, a bronze sculpture depicts the French Republic with a wounded soldier at its feet threatening the enemy. The monument is framed on the left by the statue of an artilleryman and on the right by that of an infantryman. The escutcheon on the pediment shows the coats of arms of four sub-prefectures of the department: Chartres, Châteaudun, Dreux and Nogent le Rotrou. I have instead the memorial to Gen Patton 3rd army in WWII.
We then , car protected and well fed went our walking ways in town. The first stop, the Musée des Beaux-Arts or Fine Arts museum at 29 rue Cloître Notre Dame, the main museum in the city. Located in the former episcopal palace, next to the cathedral. This beautiful set of buildings the former episcopal palace, from the 15C, 17C, and 18C. However, it is at least since the 12C that the bishops of Chartres have resided on this site. Through the reception rooms and noble spaces such as the vestibule, the Italian-style room and the chapel, you will discover collections of paintings, sculptures, works of art and ethnographic objects covering a period ranging from 13C to the 20C. In 1792, the episcopal palace became nationalise. Under the French revolution, the premises were assigned to the central administration of the department of Eure-et-Loir between 1794 and 1804. The prefecture was then installed there between 1804 and 1817. On the occasion of Napoleon I’s visit and his wife Marie-Louise in June 1811, decoration work was carried out in the garden wing. On November 8, 1821, Monsignor de Latil took possession of his seat while the Prefecture still occupied the palace. The law of Separation of Church and State of 1905 made the episcopal palace a departmental property. A lease affects its use for the city of Chartres for 99 years. At that time, the idea of turning it into a museum already existed, but this project having been confirmed only on the eve of WWII, the museum only opened its doors to the public in 1948.
The city of Chartres on the museum: https://www.chartres.fr/musee-beaux-arts/horaires-et-animations/
The private Friends of the Museum webpage: https://www.amismuseechartres.fr/
The Place de la Poissonnerie is a characteristic architectural example of the Maison du Saumon at 10, 12, 14 place de la Poissonnerie. The Maison du Saumon was inhabited by Catherine Maubuisson, lady of Borville who was at the head of an important import and export business. Besides the salmon, the facade features an Annunciation and Saint Michael slaying the dragon. Built from the beginning of the 16C, having undergone important transformations thereafter, in particular inside. With two corbels at the level of the two floors, the facade is built in half-timbered sections filled with a filling of small limestone and earth mortar elements. The Half-timbered house, it is so called for the carved wooden salmon on its facade. In the old days, the town’s fish market was held in the small square. A stone’s throw from the Cathedral, this building, now houses the Chartres tourist office.
Halles aux Legumes or covered market by the corners of rue des changes and place Billard at the spot of the old Château de Chartres sold at the French revolution and completely demolished between 1800 and 1817. This Baltard-style hall was built in 1898 to meet the demand of market gardeners from Chartres ,a covered place for their businesses since 1835! Since then, a vegetable market has been held there every Saturday morning, the rest of the week it is a parking lot. The city of Chartres on its markets: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/live-the-city/shopping/markets-and-cueillettes
Prieuré Saint Vincent or Priory at 12 Rue de la Porte Cendreuse .The Saint-Vincent priory gives carte blanche to all contemporary expressions (photographs, painting, sculpture, street art, etc.). It receives at least four artists each season. The city of Chartres on Le chemin des arts or ways of arts , contemporary that is. webpage: https://www.chartres.fr/chemin-des-arts/
The Hôtel des Postes was done by a decision taken in 1919, next to the Place des Épars. This building which broke, at the time, with the habits of the population, is today the Apostrophe media library. Located between two high places of the city, the Place Châtelet with its triumphal arch in memory of the children of Eure-et-Loir who died for the homeland (see above), and the Place des Épars with the statue of Marceau, the new hotel des Postes is presented as a centerpiece of town planning in Chartres. The city of Chartres mediathéque on the hotel/library history: https://mediatheque.chartres.fr/default/historique-du-batiment.aspx
And last but not least, the quant petit train or little train of Chartres. We prefer to walk, but this is a good alternative for an overall first visit to Chartres and if tired…. The little train which leaves and arrives at the Cathedral will take you to the banks of the Eure and to the old town. Half an hour of relaxing tourism for all. In summer, it also runs at nightfall for a Chartres en lumière or lights of Chartres route. webpage: http://www.lepetittraindechartres.fr/
For more info, the city of Chartres on its heritage/history: https://www.chartres.fr/patrimoine/
The Chartres tourist office on things to see: https://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en/explore/tours-and-visits
There you go folks, a wonderful re visit to a great town of my belle France, Chartres! There is more to take you several days here me think, we will be back sooner! For now enjoy Chartres as we did!!
And remember, happy travels, good health , and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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