Journee d'Etude #1

"Then they took the holy tunic
From the mother of God, who departed...
The Lady who wore it
When she bore the son of God
Thought it would be put
At Chartres, in her main church,
And that it would be preserved
In the place of which she is called the Lady."
- Jean le Marchard, mid-13th century chronicler and poet



Class today. About 50 of us huddle in a small classroom down a narrow medieval street in the shadow of the cathedral. The cold rainy weather doesn’t dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of those in the room. As far as I can tell, I’m the only American here, but I could be from Mars and it wouldn’t matter. People are polite, reserved, and focused. I meet a young woman from Paris who is a stained glass artist and teacher. She’s often commissioned to recreate Gothic panels and wants a better understanding behind these requests. All of us want to unlock a few of the mysteries that lie behind this art and the light that brings it to life.
Lots of revelation. It’s hard to keep up with the lectures at times, not so much because of the language difference, but because of the overriding passion with which these historians and restoration experts present their work! I’ll share some of this material in future postings and in my MA work as it develops. One of the day’s highlights is a two-hour tour of the vitraux (stained glass) in the cathedral, given by the gentleman in charge of the current restoration – a major project that will continue through 2015 and encompasses all elements of the cathedral. A last minute addition to the tour is a climb down into the cathedral’s crypt, a claustrophobia-inducing space that predates all five structures known to have been built on this spot dating back to the third century. Funny to think that the faithful in the Middle Ages viewed this cavernous space as “ancient” just as we view the current cathedral today.
We re-emerge from the crypt just in time to see a wedding party enter the nave. The monstrous pipe organ blares the beginning notes of an overture, and young men in long tails with red rose boutonnieres take their places. The bride descends from a classic coupe and gathers up her train, dwarfed by the façade behind her. How many ceremonies has this cathedral seen over the centuries? I can’t imagine getting married in such a setting!!!