Today we left Tours by bus and traveled to Chartres Cathedral. This is the first day it has rained. We have been fortunate to have good weather during our tour. Our guide told us it rains here approximately 200 days each year!
Arriving at Chartres Cathedral, we were greeted by Christine, who gave us a tour through the chapel. Construction of the chapel began in 1417 as a result of a vow made by Louis de Bourbon, a descendant of both Saint Louis and Henry IV of France. He had been imprisoned by his brother and upon his release donated the needed funds for construction.
Chartres Cathedral is one of the most admired examples of Gothic art. With 176 stained glass windows relating to the Virgin Mary and figures from the Old Testament and Apocalypse, it is visited by people from all over the world. If I’m remembering correctly, it receives approximately 9 million visits yearly. The colors of the stained glass reflect deeper meaning. For example, blue represents the Virgin Mary. You can see much of the glass is shades of blue. The color green represents hope and life.
Photos courtesy of the author.