Chartes comes into view, dominated by its famous cathedral |
Our tour director Guillaume leads the way
Guillaume, a fine young fellow and native of Alsace, was an excellent and enthusiastic director.
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Franco-Prussian War Memorial
"To the memory of the young men of the Eure et Loire who died for their country". Eure-et-Loir is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers.
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The spires of Chartres Cathedral loom over the town |
The home of Jean Moulin, a hero of the Resistance against the Nazis
Jean Moulin (20 June 1899 – 8 July 1943) was a high-profile member of the Resistance in France during World War II. He is remembered today as an emblem of the Resistance, owing mainly to his role in unifying the French resistance under de Gaulle and his courage and death by torture at the hands of the Nazi Gestapo. Jean Moulin has become the most famous and honored French Resistance fighter. He is known by practically all French people thanks to his famous monochrome photo with the scarf and fedora hat. All the other martyrs of the clandestine fight, such as Pierre Brossolette, Jean Cavaillès or Jacques Bingen, all organizers of the underground army, are overshadowed by his legend.In 1993, a commemorative French two-franc coin was issued showing a partial image of Moulin against the Croix de Lorraine, drawn from the iconic fedora-and-scarf photograph.
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Guillaume Stehlin, our excellent tour director |
Chartres Cathedral-a 113-metre (377 ft) early 16th-century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower |
Chartres shops and residences near the Cathedral |
Chartres Cathedral-The flamboyant north tower in shrp contrast to the simple south tower pyramid |
An an old curio shop on the Cathedral Square |
An elegant wrought iron gate on the Cathedral precincts |
The west facade of Chartres Cathedral
Chartres Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is a medieval Catholic cathedral located in Chartres, France, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is the last of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the 4th century.
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Shops fringe the Cathedral Square |
A gentleman of Chartres strolling near the Cathedral with his big shaggy dog |
A very fine looking sheepdog |