Hell's Gates and Heavenly Chapels

Day 5: Tuesday 31st Dec

The Thinker

This morning we were oriented to the wonderful metro train network for Paris.  We travelled to the left bank to Denfert-Rochereau  Station with a plan to see the catacombs of Paris.  Unfortunately all the tourists in town had the same idea so we went to the Rodin Museum instead.  Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor who lived from 1840-1899 and is ranked in the top sculptors of all time.  His most well known works are 'The Thinker' and 'The Kiss' .  

The Kiss

The Gates of Hell

Many of his large volume of sculptures were models incorporated into his ultimate work 'The Gates of Hell' based on Dante's 'Divine Comedy'.  Both the Thinker and The Kiss are in 'The Gates' as well as other famous sculptures.

Some of his work that was extraordinary to me (Not space to explain why)were:
'The Bergers of Calais' (based on the true story of the six elders who gave their lives to save the city when under siege by Henry V of England.)

The Cathedral

St John the Baptist - modelled by a farmer

Bergers of Calais

'Meditation'- a study of deep human meditation 
'The Cathedral' - beautiful hands that create a spiritual space

As we were nearby we walked to the Chapel of Saint Catherine Labore on the Rue de Bac. Catherine was part of the religious order the Sisters of Charity which now has sisters on five continents, in 91 countries, including many with extreme poverty.  Catherine (1806-1876) lived a beautiful life in service of the poor and sick most in rural France.  This Chapel is a place of intensive pilgrimage and veneration especially for the French, religious or not.

On our way back to the Right Bank we stopped at the Isle de la Cite and visited the Gothic  Saint Chapelle Chapel close to Notre Dame.  This church was built by the boy king Louis XIV, finished in 1248, and was built to house the 'holy relics' that Louis claimed to have acquired from Jerusalem.  The Chapel has two levels and the amazing stained glass windows are in the upper chapel. Most of the windows are original.  

Rose Window Saint Chapelle

The Rose Window on the Western Wall dates from 1490 and is regarded as one of the finest examples of this feature which was common in Gothic churches.  The function of the Rose Window was like a mandela - to point believers to a higher reality through the use of architecture, light and beauty and also instruct them on various religious matters including a history of the bible, liturgical calendars etc.  Like most Churches in Paris this Chapel was significantly damaged during the French Revolution and has undergone significant restoration.  I would describe this chapel as breathtaking and numinous but words are inadequate  - if you are interested the link above gives the story in each pane of the stained glass windows.

As it was New Years Eve we celebrated by visiting a local restaurant called 'Gallopin'.  We have both resolved to try new and local dishes while here and I had the best ever artichoke dish as an entree!  Maureen had Mackerel which was very strong!