The Guardian (20 December 2014) reports on a controversial restoration of the UNESCO listed Chartres Cathedral‘s interior which is being cleansed of centuries of dirt and grime (28 Eure-et-Loir, Centre):
Chartres Cathedral in France is an awe-inspiring sight, renowned in particular for its medieval stained glass windows and stone carvings….American architecture critic Martin Filler and his wife, Rosemarie Haag Bletter, an architectural historian, were so horrified by what they saw that he denounced the “scandalous” makeover in his blog.
Filler’s main complaint is that the €15m (£11.7m) state-run makeover, which began in 2009, set out “to do no less than repaint the entire interior in bright whites and garish colors that are intended to return the sanctuary to its medieval state”.
As a tourist however, those sections of the church which have been renovated do look stunning and reveal the beauty if the stonework and carvings and are a tremendous improvement on the other parts of the building which remain dark and dingy. The area around the Cathedral is now largely pedestrianised and well worth exploring.
In Chartres stay at the Hôtellerie Saint Yves – a hotel in a former monastery close to the Cathedral.
more info and check availability at this Chartres Hotel see Hôtellerie Saint Yves
Holiday Accommodation around Chartres including B&Bs and self-catering.
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