This is the view of the magnificent Chartres Cathedral which would have greeted pilgrims long ago as they entered the city through one of the gates in the city wall. This fortified gate, Le Porte Guillaume, was built in the 7th century, but now only these crumbling remnants remain.
The photograph above was taken in the late 19th century and shows how imposingly formidable the structure appeared at that time. Unfortunately it was almost completely destroyed by the retreating German army in mid-August 1944 in a futile effort to slow the progress of the advancing Allied forces.
It is interesting to note that the TABAC at the gate to the city has endured through time - clear testimony to the resilience of the French!
OJ
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