Reims Cathedral in the

Reims Cathedral in the heart of Champagne,a jewel of Gothic art where Clovis, King of theFranks, was baptized in 498.Reims Cathedral is home to 2,303 statuesand some outstanding stained-glass windows,the medieval way of bringing Biblical storiesto a population that mostly could not read.Discover the skills of the artisans at theStained Glass Centre in Troyes and theInternational Stained Glass Centre in Chartresbefore admiring their work in the cities’churches. And for a contemporary slant, don’tmiss the rainbow of glass panels set in theconcrete tower of the Church of Saint Josephin Le Havre.Rood screen, Albi Cathedral © Rupert ParkerExpect bible stories and geometric patternscreated by Renaissance artists in brilliantcolours alongside intricate sculpted figures.Rainbow of glass panels in the concrete tower of the Church ofSaint Joseph in Le Havre.With their towers and spires, flying buttressesand carved facades, Gothic cathedrals gracemany northern French cities including Amiensand Bourges, Strasbourg and Laon. But headsouth and churches take on a very differentstyle. The Romanesque-Byzantine Cathedralof Saint-Front at Périgueux in the Dordogne istopped with five 18th century cupolas, whilstthe Cathedral of Sainte-Cécile at Albi inOccitanie has a different aspect again.Largest brick cathedral in the world, Albi’sunique church was begun in 1282 and took200 years to complete. It is also the largestpainted cathedral in Europe and the wowfactorramps up even more as you step inside.Ancient and modernAlbi may be the largest painted church, butsmaller churches can also pack a punch withtheir rainbow interiors. Amongst my favouritesis the Basilica of Saint Julien de Brioude,largest Romanesque building in Auvergnewith painted pillars and a mosaic floor madeof river pebbles. And in Lower Auvergne,the abbey church of Saint-Astremoine is amasterpiece of 12th century Romanesque artwith its forest of painted columns.Basilica of Saint Julien de Brioude © Gillian ThorntonEffigies of the Plantagenet monarchs at FontevraudMost abbey churches were more sombre,but they still have the power to impress.Take the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud in theLoire Valley, last resting place of EnglishPlantagenet monarchs Henry II and hiswife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son RichardCoeur de Lion, and their daughter-in-lawIsabelle of Angouleme, widow of King John.A vast complex headed by an abbess withfour priories for both men and women,Fontevraud has been repurposed as a centrefor art and culture, complete with art gallery,atmospheric hotel and a Michelin-starredrestaurant inside a bijou cloister.Many French churches still boast a tranquilcloister, but it is hard to top the Romanesquesplendour of Moissac Abbey in Tarn etGaronne. One of the most importantBenedictine monasteries in the Middle Ages,Moissac is listed by UNESCO for its intricatelycarved capitals and tympanum. Also classifiedfor its sculptures is the ‘double decker’ cloisterof Saint Trophime at Arles in the Rhône Valley;head to the upper storey for some uniqueecclesiastical views.In Normandy, Rouen’s magnificent cathedral- home to the heart of Richard Coeur deLion – could not be more different from theChurch of Saint Joan of Arc, completed inChurch of Saint Joan of Arc © Gillian Thornton1979 in the market square where the peasantgirl from Lorraine burned at the stake in 1431.The modern design evokes the sea with itsslate and copper scales, but inside, visitors aretreated to the brilliant stained-glass windowsfrom the Church of Saint Vincent, destroyedby air raids in 1944.For another striking example of 20th centuryreligious architecture, head east to Franche-Comté to visit Notre-Dame du Haut atRonchamp, built by Le Corbusier in 1955 in ahilltop woodland clearing between the Vosgesand the Jura. Asymmetrical in design, its curvedwalls support a roof shaped like a crab shell.Statues on the façade of the Cathedral of St Trophime, Arles46 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 47