Leggete questo testo dell'associazione "Tradizione Famiglia Proprietà" americana.
Esso è scritto in inglese, è intitolato "Chartres Cathedral: A Grandchild of God That Will Uplift & Inspire You" e recita:
"The famous stained-glass windows of the gothic Cathedral of Chartres, France, contain a magnificent lesson.
The spirit of the Church is the spirit of God: It knows how to unite the practical with the beautiful. So that, seeing such a work of art, we notice that it makes use of the practical almost as an afterthought, and beauty is admired as if it were the only thing that exists. The purpose of the practical is to serve the body of man without disturbing the soul; the end of beauty is to enchant the soul and elevate it to God.
The stained glass window, in addition to being beautiful, is functional because it brings light into the building. The variety of these stained glass windows is incredible. We see holy kings in one. In another, Our Lady shines with the Infant Jesus. What lacework. What glass jewels. What splendor.
Every window pane is a precious gem. Practical purpose: illumination. Spiritual purpose: to present beauty, truth within beauty — the highest truth, Divine Revelation which Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit brought to this earth.
What a variety of shapes, colors and splendor of light. Everything is so rich that it is not worth separating. Because even though each fragment of stained glass is beautiful, the ensemble is so much more beautiful that the soul does not feel inclined to focus on detail.
The Book of Genesis tells us that God, in creating the universe, rested considering His creation, and said that each thing He made was good and the ensemble was very good. Considering the stained glass windows of Chartres, it can be said, paraphrasing our Creator, that each part is good and beautiful, but the collection is most excellent. One is inclined to focus only upon the beauty of the whole.
There is a magnificent analogy between the beauty of God's creation and the fruits of human art, which Dante described as the "grandchildren of God."
Excerpt from a meeting given by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira on February 10, 1994. Translated from Portuguese without the author's revision.
About Chartres Cathedral
The town of Chartres is located in the Loire Valley 88 km (50 miles) southwest of Paris. Its main building is the monumental Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres, whose construction began in the eleventh century. This masterpiece of Gothic art is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, the temple is famous throughout the world, due to its wealth of sculptures and the beauty of its many stained glass windows. Their colors are stunning, and depict biblical passages from the lives of saints and scenes of everyday life in the Middle Ages.
The Veil of the Blessed Virgin is venerated in this Cathedral. It was given to Emperor Charlemagne by Constantine Porphyrogenitus and Irene, transferred about 876 by Charles the Bald from Aachen to Chartres, and raised as a standard in 911 by Gantelme, the bishop, to put to flight the Norman Rollo. In 1360 Edward III of England, and in 1591 Henry IV of France, passed reverently beneath the reliquary containing this veil, as a sign of submission.
The consecration of the cathedral occurred in 1260, and St. Louis IX is said to have attended the ceremony. The stained glass windows are the finest in the world — they contain 3889 figures. The upper windows were presented by St. Louis, and St. Ferdinand and Queen Blanche of Castile. The porches and windows represent in magnificent symbolism the glorification of Mary. The choir enclosure with its beautifully sculptured groups dates from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Among the pilgrims who came to Chartres history mentions St. Louis who, in order to reach there, travelled seven leagues on foot. Over the centuries, popes and kings have made the pilgrimage to this magnificent shrine. (Catholic Encyclopedia)
Damaged During the French Revolution
The cathedral was damaged during the French Revolution when a mob began to destroy the stone statues on the north porch. On this occasion, the anti-Catholic rabble was stopped by faithful townsfolk who checked their sacrilegious riot.
Nevertheless, the French Revolutionary Committee decided to destroy the cathedral via explosives, and asked a local architect to execute their plan. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets it would take years to clear away. (Wikipedia)".
Nel 1194, quando si decise di costruirla, a seguito dell'incendio che distrusse il precedente luogo di culto, la cattedrale che si volle creare doveva essere non solo maestosa ma anche ricca di significati.
Il testo qui sopra (che è stato scritto dal professor Plinio Correa de Oliveira) la racconta bene.
Le pietre della cattedrale di Chartres raccontano una storia.
Si sa, nel Medio Evo non c'erano la stampa ed internet.
Molti non sapevano leggere e scrivere.
Eppure, questa cattedrale (come altre) "raccontava" alla gente le storie della Bibbia e con le sue vetrate e le sue statue e la gente capiva ciò che quel grande edificio rappresentava.
Questo era un linguaggio universale
Anzi, in essa vi è un vero e proprio cammino iniziatico che è rappresentato nel labirinto disegnato al centro del pavimento della navata centrale.
Esso ha molti significati.
Infatti, questo cammino segue una linea che va verso Oriente, la Città Santa di Gerusalemme e la luce.
Idealmente, essa si ricollega a Gerusalemme.
Inoltre, esso rappresenta la Nuova Gerusalemme di cui parla il libro dell'Apocalisse di San Giovanni.
Il centro del labirinto rappresenta Dio, a cui ci si può avvicinare attraverso la preghiera.
In essa non vi solo la religione e la letteratura ma anche la matematica.
Le gilde che costruirono la cattedrale (tra cui la Compagnia di Padre Soubise, legata ai Cavalieri dell'Ordine del Tempio) usarono il sistema duodecimale, un sistema numerico a base 12.
Quello che accadde nella criminale Rivoluzione francese, ossia la distruzione delle vetrate e delle statue fu come la distruzione di tante pagine di un libro.
Quanto accadde nella Rivoluzione francese non fu solo un atto contro Dio e contro la Sua Chiesa ma anche un atto contro la cultura di un popolo.
Del resto, per uccidere un popolo non servono le armi.
Basta distruggere la sua cultura.
Cordiali saluti.
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