May 22nd 2023: AFC facilitates Harvard students’ trip to Chartres with Prof. Jeffrey Hamburger. They are met by Anne-Marie Woods and Paul Trouilloud and visit the upper parts of the cathedral as well as the stained glass workshops in Chartres. Judging from student’s testimony, this was a very successful trip!
Student Testimonials
Our visit to Chartres was, in many ways, magical. The crisp clarity of the air, the serenity and simplicity of the space cultivated by the Sisters, and the tour of the breathtaking cathedral made for a beautiful divergence from our Paris itinerary. This short but full segment of the trip was what I can only describe as a totally satisfying sigh – a deep inhale and a deep exhale to close out a lovely trip.
One of the most memorable times from the trip was our visit to Chartres Cathedral. I’ve never been more fascinated with gothic art — and medieval stained glass — more in my life. Chartres was the perfect way to cap off the trip. Combining Prof. Hamburger’s expertise with that of our knowledgeable guides who have worked on the conservation of Chartres themselves on top of student participation, I cannot name a single other experience at Harvard where I’ve learned more in a single day. I would hope that every Harvard student could be as lucky to find themselves on an HAA excursion, as this was exactly the type of transformative experience I hoped I would have when I first matriculated.
Spending a day at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres (getting to climb around the windows, trace the outside of the buttresses, and see the guts of the roofing just made the whole course come alive in a way nothing else quite did). This trip has inspired and touched me in ways that this paragraph does not do justice, and I am deeply grateful to all who spent time, energy, creativity, and means bringing it to life.
The tour of Chartres was one of the highlights of the trip. I had wanted to be in a triforium of every cathedral during the excursion and finally got the chance. Seeing the exterior of the stained-glass windows and the roof structure helped develop my understanding of France’s architectural history.
