They were all there, Saturday evening June 6, braving the cold and the wind, to (re) discover the secrets hiding behind the monuments and old houses of the hyper-center of Chartres.
Guided tours to discover Chartres after dark
The tourist office has resumed its program of night visits, adapting them to the post-coronavirus health situation. But, on this weekend evening, deconfinement is in everyone’s mind and the mask is an already outdated accessory.
How guided tours adapt to the coronavirus in Chartres
The nine people present (the gauge is limited) follow with care the tourist guide, Claire Barbier, disguised as a woman of the 15th century. In front of each dark alley, it captures the attentive ear of visitors with a thousand anecdotes that allow you to go back in time to follow in the footsteps of the Chartrains of the Middle Ages.
“There was a good restaurant here! “
And it feels like it. In a few words, the guide brings back the castle which stood on Place Billard.
Only the incongruous burst of fire trucks plunges us back, for a few seconds, into the modern world.
Twenty-six works by Maurice de Vlaminck at the heart of an exceptional exhibition at the Dreux museum
Visitors also get caught up in the game, delivering their own memories. “Ah, there was a good restaurant here, about fifteen years ago! Exclaim two Chartrains in front of the site of an old medieval inn, rue au Lait.
Villebon Castle awaits visitors this weekend
The highlight of the show is, of course, the unalterable cathedral, which defies the centuries on its promontory. When Claire Barbier and her audience gather in front of the venerable monument, the atmosphere becomes more mystical.
In front of the portals, the guide gives some explanations to learn about the religious symbolism which escapes the modern public.
Aunt Léonie’s house, in Illiers-Combray, found its visitors
It recalls some obvious facts, such as the presence of the relic of the Veil of the Virgin inside the building, but also stops in front of the numerous statues which keep all of their mystery for tourists in the 21st century.
King David, the prophet Isaiah, Abraham … all have been patiently waiting for centuries at the gates of the cathedral. For a few minutes, these anonymous statues recover their identity, hoping that visitors will remember them …
Rémi Bonnet
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