the cathedral of chartres is known for its magnificent stained glass windows. the day before we toured the cathedral we went to the centre international de vitrail where we learned how stained glass is made. it's a rather complicated process that was actually forgotten after the renaissance and rediscovered in the 19th century. what's really fascinating about the stained glass windows at chartres is that each one was donated by a different group of workers of the same profession and the biblical story depicted in the window usually relates to the profession. for example, the carpenter's window tells the story of noah's ark. also at the bottom of each window is a scene of the workers at work. there is a window for the bakers, the butchers, the winemakers, the weavers, everyone. it's cool because you get the sense that everyone in the town contributed to build this grand cathedral.
obviously i took beaucoup de photos but inevitably i failed to capture the real brilliance of the cathedral. one must go there to experience it : )
Wow, Hope your not disappointed with Rome! Paul took a stained glass course last semester. Priory students helped make their own stained glass windows. Not quite the same quality as the cathedral in Chartes!
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