Beauvais, Picardy, France
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
We were really glad we got to St. Pierre Cathedral in
Beauvais before they closed. We had a bit more than an hr here. It's the tallest cathedral in the world.....220 ft built of chalk, so it's blindingly white.....dates from the 1200s, although the original cathedral (which is a small parish looking church) still exists where they never finished the nave of the new cathedral. It was started in the 500s. This cathedral was built too high.....the roof collapsed a few years after it was finished and they simply completed the choir and transepts but never did finish the nave. It is really really tall and completely filled with windows....some of the stained glass dates from the 12 and 1300s. Lynn was enthralled by the 2 clocks.....one dates from 1305 and they claim it is the oldest continuously working clock in the world....the other is an incredible complex structure as big as a house that sits in the cathedral and has dozens of carved figures that move to show Bible stories, seasons, months, days, and even the hour and minutes.....Lynn bought the video (even though it is in French) so you can watch it when we get home......
