Laon and Reims Cathedrals

We had chosen this area for an overnight because of Riems. When we arrived we were certainly impressed by this early cathedral, which had been started in 1211, 9 years earlier than Salisbury. There were many similarities although most of the original stained glass here had been replaced since WWII. There was an entire section of glass which had been done by Marc Chagall and these were beautiful but impossible for me to photograph. This photo is of the western portal which was where knights on horseback would enter during the early years. We would come to know this same entrance at many cathedrals over the coming weeks.


Once inside we were taken with the quiet, the coolness, the scale, and height of the interior. Massive doors, incredible carvings and replacement stain glass done in a much more modern style, but reverential none the less.

I do not think we saw any cathedrals, doms, or basilicas which were not undergoing massive restorations. Some of them had not had much work done in many years/centuries and the stone was quite damaged. These were major undertakings mostly with private funds as no one has the money for the upkeep on these very old centers of community.
After leaving Riems we drove on the back roads ( narrow and twisty) to find our incredible overnight farmhous/garden accommodations in the tiny village of Orgeval (see traveling across N France) where Bernard's 14 year old daughter was the only one who spoke English, at least until Bernard, her father got home.


The next day we decided (based on Bernard's recommendation) to visit Laon, the first capital of France. Don and I spent the day touring the walled city
and the cathedral which was the precursor to many of the more famous cathedrals of Europe (Reims, Bamberg, Chartres) which all came after Laon.


The stained glass has mostly been replaced, but one on the north side, the rose window complex was original!!.. and were done to highlight the liberal arts philosophy of the day... with a WOMAN as a sign of wisdom in the center.... the 8 areas that a person was to be accomplished in to be considered educated and sophisticated included, astronomy, geometry, mathematics, medicine, dialectic, grammar, the stain glass is done with this woman in the center with 8 additional rose circles around this center each indicating these 8 areas of study. Very progressive for 1170...