La Sainte-Chapelle

La Sainte-Chapelle

As you enter through the lower chapel of this Gothic flamboyant church, 

you are struck with the deep, rich colors trimmed with gilt.  

As you climb the narrow staircase to this upper chapel,

 seeing the panorama of stained-glass windows 

you will gasp at the magnificence. 

 I have seen it many times, knowing just what I will see,

 and it still takes my breath away.

bon dimanche

La Sainte-Chapelle

8, boulevard du Palais

75001, Paris

Cathédral Notre-Dame de Chartres - un détail

Chartres Cathedral

12th Century Gothic

The 300 narrow, winding steps to the bell tower 

reward the adventurous climber with a quiet and lofty view of Chartres 

as well as intricate details.  

The cathedral artisans carved images of beasts and flowers 

in places where they would not be easily seen by anyone but God.

bon dimanche

Cathédral Notre-Dame de Chartres

Chartres, France
(an easy day-trip from Paris by train)

Église Saint-Merri - La Fontaine Stravinsky

Église Saint-Merri

The Stravinsky Fountain

The whimsy of 16 animated sculptures stands in contrast 

to the flying buttresses of this ancient church 

with its "Gothic Flamboyant" architectural style.

The fountain sculptures were installed in 1983...

The church built between 1500 and 1550...

Which of these two Paris landmarks will look the best in 200 years?

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Merri

76, rue de la Verrerie

75004, Paris

Église Saint-Merri

Église Saint-Merri

This church was constructed between 1500 and 1550 

in a style called "Gothic flamboyant."  

Surviving the French Revolution is the oldest bell in Paris, 

cast in 1331.  (That is not a typo... 1331!!)

This church was reported as a site of the 1832 barricades 

fighting in a republican uprising against the July Monarchy.  

I will be going back to my unabridged Les Miserables to look for clues.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Merri

76, rue de la Verrerie

75004, Paris