cathedrals

As you walk into a Gothic church, the ethereal atmosphere is immediately evident. The reverent hush and the dark stonework lit by brilliantly colored stained-glass patterns of light create this aura that is completely unique to sacred Gothic architecture. Most people, whether seasoned or amateur travelers, are relatively familiar with Gothic churches. But the symbolism hidden within these centuries-old structures is often lost on visitors. Gothic churches were built with symbolism incorporated into every element. While each building differs slightly in terms of symbolic components, every symbol allows the visitor to have an enlightened and almost otherworldly experience.

At the center of the small town of Chartres, a ninety-minute train ride away from Paris, sits a towering cathedral. This edifice, completed in the thirteenth century, has been the center of controversy because of a decision made in 2009 to renovate it. This is not the simple, patchwork maintenance performed on many old monuments; the cathedral’s once gloomy interior, blackened by centuries of use, is currently being painted a sunny, pale yellow. The paint job is part of a monumental attempt to restore the cathedral to its medieval appearance. But the renovation has inspired polemical responses.