A Commanderie for the recruitment and training of the Order of the Knights Templar was founded in the early 12th century on a woody estate of 2500 acres in Arville.
Here the monk soldiers would worship, practice their skills and farm whilst awaiting their departure to the Holy Land where their main task was to guard the safe passage of pilgrims.
The Templars lived here until their arrest, decided by Philippe IV le Bel, King of France, who accused them of heresy, on Friday 13 October 1307.
We drove in early to Chartres to wander the streets of this wonderful medieval town and visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres.
In the west end of the nave we had a surprising glimpse of the 13th century pavement labyrinth set into the floor. We had not expected to see it as the cathedral building is undergoing restoration and the labyrinth has been covered by protective matting for about a year. There is still a lot of restoration work to be done before the labyrinth will be open again for pilgrims to walk it’s 800 year old stones.
Today, it was as though we just coincided with the labyrinth ‘coming up for air’. Within minutes it was covered over again but we had been graced by a moment with this beautiful path.
We are staying in a farm cottage near Arrou in the region of Eure-et-Loir. The land is flat. Everywhere you look are fields and water towers, wild flowers and birdlife, and the odd bat!
Visiting the nearby town of Brou we wandered through back streets and along the river bank with it’s magnificant trees, seeking out the medieval lavoirs public (wash houses) still visible along the water’s edge.
This morning we drove west from Avallon past vineyards and cattle fields shrouded in the early morning mist to the hill top village of Vézelay with it’s immense Romanesque Basilica of Mary Magdalene. For centuries pilgrims have flocked to this place of simple beauty and stillness.
We were able to share in the celebration of Pentecost led by the contemporary Community of Jerusalem. It was inspirational.
As we leave our time in the village of Taize in the south of Burgundy we come away with such a vivid memory of the colours of the land and sky.
The other day we took a walk through the village, past the Church of Reconciliation, then east down the hill to a peaceful area we both love. It is a place of stillness and reflection with paths for walking, a waterfall and lake, magnificent trees and inordinately loud frogs.
Our short time there reminded us how special this place is for us, to our story and our lives.
Last week over 6000 predominantly young people from many places across the planet gathered in the Church of Reconciliation in the village of Taizé, France. The building was designed by one of the brothers of the Taizé community in the 60’s and was built by young Germans working for reconciliation after the Second World War. In the early 70’s the community demolished the west wall and added a circus tent for more space. The building has been constantly adapted to welcome over 8000 pilgrims at any one time.
I first came as a pilgrim to Taizé in 1971 and was enchanted by the square stained glass windows running along the south side of the church depicting some moments from the Christian story. I loved the simplicity of form and colour. This week I rediscovered a window of St Francis, made by the same brother, in the Romanesque church in the village. I had not seen this window in several years. It was a lovely connection with our time in Assisi this Easter.
The Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded in 910 CE, was the center of a major monastic movement in the Middle Ages. However, by the time of the French Revolution the monks of Cluny were so thoroughly identified with the Ancien Régime that the order was suppressed in France and the monastery at Cluny was partly demolished. The abbey was sold as national property and was used as a stone quarry.
Today we visited les Haras Nationaux, an Imperial Stud opened by Napoleon in 1806. The stud stables stand in what was once the choir and apse of the Abbey and were built out of the Abbey stones.
Cluny on market day was buzzing with people. The sun shone and it was a great day to celebrate Boro’s promotion back to the premiership. Fantastique!
Another sunny day. We set off to visit the medieval castle of Berzé which we had passed on our way to Solutré.
In 1229 this 10th century castle was transformed into the major defensive castle for the Abbey of Cluny. It now dominates the vineyards of the Lamartinian Valley.
The dramatic presentation of medieval fighting was well done despite our general dislike of military combat.
Two days ago summer arrived in Burgundy. We headed out to visit the steep limestone slopes of Solutré-Pouilly. This was an area first inhabited around 52,000 years ago by Crog-Manon people of the Mousterian era. They hunted bison, aurochs and mammoths which populated the valleys and slopes.
We walked the path to the top of the fossilised coral outcrop. The shape of the hill reminded us of Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire. We sat on the summit with only gorgeous butterflies for company. The countryside today is covered in vineyards of the Mâconnais.
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