Relishing Relics
Tresor of Chartres and Treasures at Cluny
Me at the Cluny
Me at the Cluny two
Bienvenue and welcome back to Musée Musings, your idiosyncratic guide to Paris and art. This week’s subject is the Tresor of Chartres Cathedral. It’s been closed for nearly a quarter century. When I was there, in July, the exterior was still mostly a chantier (building site) and the interior was almost ready. Everything is ready now, so you should go. (Fig 1) The 90 minute train ride from Paris to Chartres leaves from the Gare de Montparnasse. The Cathedral is a short walk from the train station. And yes, Proust’s Illiers-Combray is only a 20 minute train ride away.
Figure 1. Chartres Cathedral Tresor (St. Piat) Exterior. Our guides preparing us for our visit
Chartres Cathedral’s name is Cathédral Notre-Dame de Chartres. Notre Dame means Our Lady, the mother of Christ, the Virgin Mary. More churches are dedicated to the Virgin than to anyone else. Here are a few things about the Virgin. The Western Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church had some disagreements about Mary. The Council of Ephesus was convened in 431 to determine whether the Virgin was holy in and of herself or if she was the vessel through which holy passed. Was she just the mother of Jesus or was she also the mother of God? The western church confirmed that Mary was the Mother of God, the Patriarch of Constantinople didn’t. (Fig 2)
Figure 2. Nativity, the Veiled Madonna chin chucking the swaddled Christ Child; the ox and ass warming the Baby with their breath and headless Joseph doing something with the Virgin’s blanket
That’s good for Western women, right? Not so fast. While men can aspire to become like Christ through proper behavior and belief, women can never aspire to be like the Virgin. Immaculate Conception and all. The Virgin’s virginity was one way among many that the Christian Patriarchy/Church Fathers kept women in their place, in their inferior place. Don’t get me started, let’s move on.
The Cathedral of Chartres’s main connection to the Virgin is a relic. Specifically two oblong pieces of silk, known as the Sancta Camisa. The veil that the Virgin wore at the Annunciation or at the Nativity. Or maybe both. (Fig 3)
Figure 3. Sancta Camisa, Chartres Cathedral Tresorie
Chartres got the ‘Sancta Camisa’ in 876 from King Charles the Bald, whose grandfather, Charlemagne got it from the Byzantine Empress Irene. Probably as a diplomatic gift. There was a second veil which is documented as having been in various churches in Constantinople from the 5th to the 12th centuries. But we don’t have to worry about that one. The earliest reference to the Virgin’s Veil at Chartres was around 1000. Like the other veil, the one at Chartres was thought to have miraculous properties. For example, it saved the city of Chartres from a Viking siege in 911.
The veil was already in a reliquary by the year 1000. For the next 700 years, nobody opened the reliquary so nobody actually knew what the veil looked like. It was finally opened in 1712. Now we know that the veil is two bands of cloth, one silk, one linen and silk, which has been known as the Virgin's veil since the 19th century.
At Chartres, there are other references to the Virgin. Little dresses or shirts, on pins, on doors, on vestments. Turns out they are tunics, the Tunic of the Virgin, which replaced the Annunciation as the Cathedral’s ‘seal’ in 1450. (Figs 4-7)
Figure 4. Annunciation Window, Chartres Cathedral. Celebrated annually on March 25, nine months before the birth of Christ, celebrated on December 25.
Figure 5. Tunic of the Virgin, Chartres Cathedral Tresor
Figure 6. Tunic of the Virgin, Chartres Cathedral Tresor
Figure 7. Tunic of the Virgin, Chartres Cathedral Tresor
Just to remind you: Relics are the physical remains of a holy person or the objects associated with a holy person. Reliquaries are where the relics are stored.
For saints and martyrs, relics are usually bones - ribs, fingers, etc. The holiest relics are those associated with Christ and the Virgin. Because Catholics believe in the Resurrection of Christ and in the Assumption of the Virgin, (Figs 8, 9) there are no body parts of either of them to venerate. Well, that’s not exactly true, Christ’s foreskin may be somewhere. It’s called the Holy Prepus. FYI, the Circumcision was the first of the Virgin’s Seven Sorrows. (Fig 10) Charlemagne may have gotten Christ’s foreskin (this time as a wedding present!) from the same Empress Irene.
Figure 8. Resurrection of Christ, Piero della Francesca, 1460s
Figure 9. Assumption of the Virgin, Titian, 1516-18
Figure 10. Circumcision Panel, Cluny Museum
Besides the foreskin, relics of Christ and the Virgin are objects that they touched. For Mary, it’s the veil she wore, which is now at Chartres Cathedral. For Christ, it’s nails (which are claimed by lots of churches) and the Crown of Thorns, (Fig 11) which is usually in the Treasury of Notre Dame de Paris. But which, since the fire that nearly destroyed the Cathedra in 2019, is in the Louvre.
Figure 11. Crown of Thorns, Notre Dame Cathedral
Most churches, if they have a relic related to Christ, it is usually wood from the cross on which He was crucified. The True Cross, miraculously discovered in 326 by St Helena, the mother of the first Christian emperor, Constantine.
Relics bestow honor and privileges to the institutions that house them. In 787, the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that all church altars had to have a relic.
I don’t know what your view on relics is but I have always thought that they serve the same purpose as Indulgences. Indulgences in the Catholic sense. In the sense that through them you can buy your way out of eternal damnation for your sins. Taking the long view, they’re not a bad thing. For example, if Enrico Scrovegni hadn’t been a usurer, Giotto's beautiful frescoes in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel in Padua would never had been painted, because Enrico wouldn’t have needed to buy a chapel to atone for his sins. (Fig 12) Buying an indulgence may or may not work for the sinner in the next world but it certainly was profitable for the Catholic Church in this world.
Figure 12. Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Padua, frescoes, Giotto, 1305
Same thing with relics, they have economical and political value. If a church has a good relic, people will come to the church and give it stuff or money. Here’s an example of how far some institutions were willing to go to get a good relic. In the early 9th century, Venice sought credibility as a European power. So, it stole the relics of the Evangelist Mark from Alexandria, Egypt. Here’s another example of ‘furta sacra’ (sacred theft). Hugh, a 12th-century bishop of Lincoln, England who would eventually become a saint himself, allegedly bit off two fragments of Mary Magdalene’s arm which he found in a church in France. He brought them home with him.
And this. There is an abbey not far from where I live in the Dordogne, in a town called Cadouin. It’s a little church with a magnificent cloister. Why is this out of the way church so sumptuous? (Fig 13) A relic, specifically ‘le Saint-Suaire,’ (Fig 14) which was said to have wiped the sweat off Christ’s face as He carried the cross to Golgotha. (not Veronica’s veil, but another one). It was obtained by a priest from the Dordogne who got it from a guy in Antioch. The abbey in Cadouin became a stopping place on the Pilgrimage Route. Everybody went there, including Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son, Richard the Lionhearted. And everybody gave the abbey money, sometimes lots of money. That is until 1933, when a group of experts analyzed the ‘holy sweat cloth’ and dated it to the 11th century. Mostly because of the Arabic characters decorating it, ones I guess nobody saw or wanted to see during the previous 900 years. The abbey is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but its relic has been debunked.
Figure 13. Cloister, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abbey, Cadouin, Perigord
Figure 14. Saint Suaire, Cadouin
It’s not hard to imagine that any bit of bone or wood or cloth could be declared a relic. In fact, forgeries were so widespread that a Church Council in 1215 tried to legislate against the trade in fakes, decreeing that all relics had to be authenticated by a bishop (I wonder how much those authentications cost).
One of my favorite tales in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, (late 14th century) is the Pardoner’s. He was a dealer in relics who happily sold animal bones to gullible people assuring them that they were saints’ bones.
Martin Luther, writing 150 years after Chaucer, had this to say about relics. “What lies there are about relics! One claims to have a feather from the wing of the angel Gabriel, and the bishop of Mainz has a flame from Moses’ burning bush. And how does it happen that 18 apostles are buried in Germany when Christ had only 12?”
About the True Cross, John Calvin wrote this, “There is no abbey so poor as not to have a specimen. In some places there are large fragments, as at the Holy Chapel in Paris, at Poitiers, and at Rome… In brief, if all the pieces that could be found were collected together, they would make a big ship-load. Yet the Gospel testifies that a single man was able to carry it.”
The Council of Trent, finally outlawed the sale of relics in 1555.
Here’s what I think. If you believe it’s holy, then go for it. But don’t ask for proof. So I was really surprised when I was at Chartres, that so many of my fellow journalists wanted to know if the Sancta Camaise was ‘real’. Our guide said that the cloth had undergone tests in the 20th century and pollen from 1st century Palestine had been detected. I decided to ask my own question. If somebody had the foresight to preserve the veil Mary wore as a young woman, a teenager really, surely somebody would have had the presence of mind to save the veil she wore at the Crucifixion and the Lamentation. Our guide had no idea, so I let it go.
So, that’s relics, which are mostly priceless/worthless bits and pieces of ‘authenticated’ bones and hair and wood and cloth. The reliquaries in which the relics are stored are certifiable works of art. They are gold and silver and enameled and encrusted with precious gems. Reliquaries are sometimes in the form of caskets and sometimes in the form of whatever is in them. If scenes are engraved on them, they are from the life of the saint whose bones they hold or from the Bible. (Figs 15, 16) The Sainte-Châsse, the reliquary that holds the Sancta Camisia, has been enriched over the years with various ornaments: jewels and precious stones.
Figure 15. Reliquary containing St. Peter’s Rib, Treasures of Oignies, Cluny Museum
Figure 16. Reliquary containing St. Peter’s Rib, Treasures of Oignies, Cluny Museum
It’s just one of many beautiful and valuable objects in the Treasury. (Figs 17, 18)
Figure 17. Incense Shuttle, 1540, Tresor, Chartres Cathedral
Figure 18. Liturgical ornaments, Tresor, Chartres Cathedral
There are statues. There are lavish robes. For the statues. I have seen vestments before but I always thought they were for humans. Turns out that some of these robes are for statues. (Fig 19)
Figure 19. Vestment for Statue, Tresor, Chartres Cathedral
The guide pointed out a tiny swaddled infant that she said were amulets held by women in the Middle Ages during childbirth. To alleviate their fears and protect them and their unborn child from harm. (Fig 20) I didn’t know about these amulets but their purpose reminded me of figurines from a much earlier period. Are you familiar with the Venus of Willendorf? Or the Venus of Laussel? (Figs 21, 22) Female figurines from 25,000 years ago, which emphasize breasts, bellies and buttocks. To name these figurines ‘Venus’ was a way for 20th century archeologists and art historians to mock something they didn’t understand. It is now commonly believed that these figurines were held by women either hoping to become pregnant or hoping for an easy labor.
Figure 20. Swaddled Infant, Tresor, Chartres Cathedral
Figure 21. Venus of Willendorf, figurine, 25,000 B.C.E.
Figure 22. Venus of Laussel, 25,000 B.C.E.
I wanted to know more, specifically what happened between the pre-historic Venuses and the medieval swaddled infants. Turns out, it’s Uterine amulets, worn by woman in late antiquity, around their necks, on their arms, near their vaginas. Worn initially for fertility and subsequently for protection during pregnancy. Since dissections were banned, the Uterine amulets are not accurate. Uteruses are sometimes depicted as pots with the opening downward, like medical cupping vessels for bloodletting and sometimes as vases. These amulets were small and mostly made of stone. (Figs 23, 24) You can buy a reproduction of a swaddled baby amulet at the gift shop at Chartres, which if you are of childbearing age, is not a bad idea, especially if you live in the United States.
Figure 23. Uterine Amulet, worn by women in Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt
Figure 24. Uterine Amulet (and reverse), worn by women in Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt
Also at the Treasury was a wood panel with a scene that is not often depicted. The Three Wise Men, in bed together, after they’ve visited the Holy Family. An angel appears before them as they sleep and tells them not to let Herod know where the Infant Jesus is. (Figs 25 - 27) The text is from the Gospel of Matthew, “But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country in a different way.” Which, as we know, led to the Massacre of the Innocents, the carrying out of Herod’s order to kill all children under the age of two. (Fig 28)
Figure 25. Angel appearing to sleeping Three Wise Men telling them not to tell Herod where infant Jesus is. One of the Magi is awake, another sleeps and the middle one has lost his head (as has the angel) Outside their groom (also headless) awaits them with three horses ready to go
Figure 26. Another example of angel appearing to sleeping Three Wise Men, Gisleburtus, Autun Cathedral
Figure 27. Another example of angel appearing to Three Wise Men, Queen Mary Psalter
Figure 28. Massacre of the Innocents, Peter Paul Rubens
There are breathtaking stained glass windows at the Treasury which were designed by the Korean born artist, Bang Hai Ja. Commissioned in 2018, they were fabricated in Germany, in the only factory big enough to create single piece stained glass windows. They were installed in 2022, just after the artist’s death. (Fig 29)
Figure 29. Modern Stained Glass Window, Tresor, Chartres Cathedral, Bang Hai Ja (Korean artist) 2018
After visiting Chartres, I wanted to check out another Treasury. Conveniently, there is an exhibition at the Musée Cluny called Treasures of Oignies (until 20 October).
Among the treasures is a reliquary holding the Virgin’s breast milk. Wait, what? Actually it’s supposedly a powdered white substance (chalk?) said to be spilled drops of the Virgin’s milk. They were found in the cave known as the Milk Grotto near Bethlehem or maybe in the Stable of the Nativity. Which makes sense because there is some confusion about where Christ was born - was it a cave or was it a stable. Artists sometimes hedged their bets and depicted it as a stable attached to or in a cave. (Fig 30) Anyhow, the drops of ‘milk’ have been preserved in a reliquary that is in the shape of a dove, a large amethyst embellishing its breast. (Figs 31, 32). There are other reliquaries here, one of St. Peter’s ribs (above Figs 15, 16) a foot of St Blaise and one of St James’ feet. And some wood from the Holy Cross, too. (Figs 33-35)
Figure 30. Mystical Nativity, Botticelli which has, among other things, a lean-to stable attached to a cave
Figure 31. Reliquary containing drop(s) of the Virgin Mary’s milk, Treasures of Oignies
Figure 32. Reliquary containing drop(s) of the Virgin Mary’s milk, Treasures of Oignies, detail
Figure 33. Reliquaries with one foot each of St. James and St. Blaise, Treasures of Oignies
Figure 34. Reliquary with foot of St. Blaise, Treasures of Oignies
Figure 35. Reliquary of Holy Cross, Treasures of Oignies
When I visited the Musée Cluny, right before the Jeux Olympiques, all of Paris was overrun with police cars and police vans barreling down the streets with their sirens blaring. The Cluny was an oasis of calm tranquility. It always is. And now there is a cafe with a courtyard, where you can have lunch or choose from a selection of patisseries. (Fig 36) You should definitely go. Gros Bisous, Dr. B.
Figure 36. Cluny Museum Café
Thanks so much to everyone who took time to comment on my review of the Paralympics Games and Ceremonies. There was one last hurrah, a parade of champions last Saturday night, the highlight of which was the presentation of the Legion d'Honneur to the athletes. President of France, Emanuel Macron chose to pin the medals on the best known athletes - Antoine Dupont (rugby), Léon Marchand (swimming) and Aurelie Aubert (boccia). Teddy Riner (judo) had already received the Legion of Honor so Macron made Riner a Commander of the National Order of Merit. Macron was criticized for having so much fun at the ceremony. But who can blame the guy. Finally, he could do something that had nothing to do with politics!
New comment on What I Ate and Why I Ate It:
In a way, Beverly, I felt grateful that I had just eaten a sumptuous lunch before I read today’s post; otherwise, I might have become ravenously hungry! But then, your article went on (and on and on) so long that, by the time I got to the Kouign Amines that you bought from three boulangeries in St. Malo, I was hungry again and sure could have enjoyed eating a couple of those! If some readers are wondering why an extensive food commentary appears in your museum blog, I remind them to look again at your photos from the restaurants you visited. Aren’t those French presentations of food works of art? I think so. Morris, N. Carolina
Ah Obrekis. They had the best steamed Crabs. They moved to Canton on the water not far from the original place, but now they are gone. There are still many places to get crabs though. Your gastronomic adventure looked delicious. How do you keep your figure? Deedee, Baltimore
New comment on France: Food, Fashion, Fans: Paris Paralympics 2024:
This quotation from your post speaks truth! “Paris 2024 has set a benchmark for all future Paralympic Games.” And, it seems to me, Paris’s featuring its museums many historical sports, fashion, and other tie-ins also sets a benchmark, one that other cities (even Los Angeles, if Los Angeles could ever compare to Paris!) will find it hard to even approach! Morris, N. Carolina
Thanks for writing about the Para Olympics. There are no limits for those with disabilities. Ben, Baltimore
B, thanks for this very uplifting issue. So much detail and variety. Thanks for all of it, incl musée reviews for planning my next stops. It's a treat. Kathy, D.C. & Paris