Monika Riely, founder and first president of American Friends of Chartres, was awarded the designation Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in a ceremony on October 19, 2012 in Chartres. The award from the Minister of Culture of France recognizes Ms. Riely for her work in founding AFC and raising funds to finance restoration work at Notre-Dame de Chartres. The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres honors individuals for their “significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural heritage.”
