Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The broad, round
labyrinth
inlaid in black marble on the floor is a spiritual journey.
Mazes like this were common in medieval churches. Pilgrims enter from the west rim, by
foot or on their knees, and wind inward, meditating, on a metaphorical journey to Jerus-
alem. About 900 feet later, they hope to meet God in the middle.
Walk up the nave to where the transept crosses. As you face the altar, north is to the
left. The three big, round “rose” (flower-shaped)
windows
over the entrances receive sun-
light at different times of day. All three are predominantly blue and red, but each has dif-
ferent “petals,” and each tells a different part of the Christian story in a kaleidoscope of
fragmented images.
Now walk around the altar to the right (south) side and find the
Blue Virgin
window
with a big, blue Mary (second one from the right). Mary, dressed in blue on a rich red
background, cradles Jesus, while the dove of the Holy Spirit descends on her. This very
old window (mid-12th century) was the central window behind the altar of the church that
burned in 1194. It survived and was reinserted into this frame in the new church around
1230.Mary'sglowingdressisanexampleofthefamed“Chartresblue,”asumptuouscolor
made by mixing cobalt oxide into the glass (before cheaper materials were introduced).
The choir (enclosed area around the altar where church officials sat) is the heart
(coeur)
of the church. A stone screen rings it with
41 statue groups
illustrating Mary's
life.Theplainwindowssurroundingthechoirdatefromthe1770s,whenthedarkmystery
of medieval stained glass was replaced by the open light of the French Enlightenment.
Do an about-face and find the
Chapel of our Lady on the Pillar.
A 16th-century
statue of Mary and baby—draped in cloth, crowned and sceptered—sits on a 13th-century
columninawonderfulcarved-woodalcove.Thisistoday'spilgrimagecenter,builttokeep
visitors from clogging up the altar area.
Double back a bit around the ambulatory, heading toward the back of the church. In
the next chapel you encounter (Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Mary), you'll find a gold
frame holding a fragment of
Mary's veil
(described under “Background,” earlier). These
days it's kept—for its safety and preservation—out of the light and behind bulletproof
glass.
Returntothewestendandfindthelastwindowontheright(nearthetowerentrance),
the
Noah Window
.Inthebottomdiamond,GodtellsNoahhe'lldestroytheearth.Upnear
thetop(diamond#7),arainbow(symbolizingGod'spromisenevertobringanotherflood)
arches overhead, God drapes himself over it, and Noah and his family give thanks.
To climb the
north tower,
find the entrance nearby. Then exit the church (through
the main entrance or the door in the south transept) to view its south side. Six flying
but-
tresses
(the arches that stick out from the upper walls) push against six pillars lining the
nave inside, helping to hold up the heavy stone ceiling and sloped, lead-over-wood roof.
