[MR] Wikipedia: Chartres Cathedral

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this day in 1260, Chartres Cathedral was dedicated in the presence of
the French King Louis IX. The building was begun in 1194, and there have
been subsequent additions including the second mis-matched spire dating
from the 16th century (I like them both!). The building is one of the
world's greatest architectural treasures, and is still an active church and
pilgrimage site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral .

One of Chartres' greatest treasures is the *Sancta Camisa*, believed by the
faithful to be the garment worn by Mary at the time of Christ's birth. The
tunic was a gift of Charles the Bald (823-877). The garment has been the
object of devotion and pilgrimage since the 12th century.

One of Chartres most intriguing features is the labyrinth built into the
floor of the nave. A labyrinth probably should have no place in a Catholic
cathedral, being essentially a pagan hold-over, but there it is. The
labyrinth is available to walk on Fridays from Lent to All Saints Day. If
you have ever walked a full-sized labyrinth, you have probably walked the
same design, as the Chartres labyrinth has been copied many times. There
are even two full-sized examples here in Charlottesville, Virginia, one
permanently installed outdoors and the other a canvas that is rolled out on
special occasions (as a lover of labyrinths, I've walked both many times).

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆