Photo TidbitsChartres Cathedral of Notre­Dame

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

The Cathedral of Notre­Dame in Chartres is considered by many to be the greatest Gothic cathedral of them all. Few buildings dominate its city, as this cathedral dominates Chartres. Surrounded by farmland, the building stones have not suffered from the blackening, characteristic of buildings in major industrial areas.

For over thirty years the English language tour was conducted by Professor Malcolm Miller. He knew an anecdote about each stone, the legend of the myriad of stained windows, and was a personal friend of every statue. The officials told him, 'Germans and the French don't laugh, why do English-speaking people laugh in a church?' But we couldn't help but laugh at the informative and humorous manner he used to describe this pre-eminent paradigm of Gothic art.

As we drove towards Paris we stopped on the side of the hill to take this telephoto. We have stopped here in other years, but we must bring the tree trimmers next time. The trees in the park are growing, and are about to block the view.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

Related Link:
Medieval Architecture: High Gothic - Chartres
City of Chartres
Chartres Cathedral

Hotels in Chartres