The Black Madonna
Trip Start
May 09, 2010
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18
20
Trip End
Jun 12, 2010
Chartres, Centre, France
Sunday, May 30, 2010
My interest in the Chartres Cathedral stems from its most prized relic; a black madonna situated in the left wing of the church. I sat in silence here for about an hour.
The site of this church goes back before the Romans invaded and colonized the region to a time when people from across the land would meet here at this hill where Chartres was eventually built. The Druids regarded this place as a sacred spot on the Earth, and worshiped here. When the church was built, they picked this spot with the knowledge of this history.
There is a "Way of the Cross," or rather, a labyrinth big enough for a pilgrim to walk into and contemplate his/her faith. This labyrinth has been used since the church was built in the 9th century, and was awesome to see. It was covered by chairs, but I still took pictures of the black stones there.
Chartres was a beautiful town, and I really want to return here again.
