Ina Caro on Chartres Cathedrale

(New Book Bento on Instagram)

While I've been laid up, 

I've been reading Ina Caro's Paris to the Past,

her wonderful book about Paris day trips by train to historical sites. 

Caro tells an interesting story about the building of Chartres,

one of our favorite cathedrals in all of France.

On June 10th, 1194, the areas of the church that the bishop had wanted replaced

mysteriously burned (along with much of the city),

 the most precious and expensive parts of the church being left untouched. 

The people of the town were terrified, thinking that the church's holy relic,

the Sancta Camisia, the tunic it was believed Mary wore while giving birth to Christ,

had burned. The townspeople not only believed that the relic had kept them safe,

(after being displayed on one of the ramparts before a raid that never happened),

but had also made them wealthy. Thinking it was gone, many were preparing to leave. 

So in his bid to implore the people for funds to rebuild the church,

the bishop started a procession through the town with the saved relic

which had been kept in the surviving crypt. 

He told them it was a sign that Mary wanted a new cathedral to house the relic. 

The funding and the building began. 

And were completed thirty years later. 

(Labyrinth outside behind the church)

Caro also mentions the cathedral's interior labyrinth

which is usually very difficult to get a photo of as it's covered most of the year. 

But while she was there, it was uncovered and visible

as pilgrims walked it on their knees. 

Malcolm Miller, the tour guide who has been giving daily English tours 

(except Sundays) since 1958, replied, upon being questioned about their actions,

that it was because it was the Summer Solstice.

So if you've been wanting to get a good look at the labyrinth,

 you now know when to go. 

According to Caro, the labyrinth is walked by modern pilgrims

as a symbolic pilgrimage meant to symbolize the twists and turns of life.

The Chartres labyrinth has no dead ends.

And they walk it together to symbolize that we are all in this (life) together. 

(15th Century clock and tower)

We've been to Chartres 4-5 times, often taking friends and visitors when we're in France. 

One of the last times was with Ed's parents who are both gone now 

so I can't think of it without remembering the sweet afternoon we spent roaming the cathedral

and having lunch at a little place across the street. 

We've done a couple of tours with Malcolm Miller and have indeed found him

as Caro describes him, 

"with snide but hilarious comments... humor and bitter sarcasm..."

One bit of humor he shared with us was a comment made by a member of his tour audience:

Something along the lines of... 

'My mother did the tour 20 years ago but it was a different tour guide then 

because he had dark hair.'

(Wisteria growing alongside the cathedral)

If you are interested in a tour with Malcolm Miller,

the website states that he still does tours every day but Sundays

From Easter to end of October at Noon and 2:45 

and from November until Easter one lecture only at Noon

(if there are 8 or more interested and he is in residence.)

You can also get his book Chartres Cathedral HERE. 

And Ina Caro's book HERE.

Chartres Cathedral website is HERE.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)