Cluny Abbey

 October 6:  The AMAZING Cluny Abbey

This morning as we departed the ship it was drizzling, cold and overcast as we headed for the Cluny Abbey.  When we'd done this itinerary several years ago with Viking I was amazed when we visited here, and this was one of my most anticipated excursions of the trip.  But the time we were some 20 minutes from the ship the skies brightened to a partly-to-mostly cloudy day with lots of sunshine.  As we were within a mile or two of the abbey we came upon a castle - which I remembered from our previous visit.  Why did I remember it, because it's privately owned and the owners STILL live in here.  Though to be clear they only live in a small portion.....

We arrived and walked up to the abbey.  I'll try thru pictures and description to explain, but it's just way beyond what you can imagine how big it is - today.  And even more so to grasp how massive it was before most of it was destroyed.  First, let's take a look at the 1 minute video I made so you get some perspective........

Now that you kind of have a grasp of it....let's start with one of the models which is on display inside the remnants.  The white portion of the model is the ONLY portion still standing - see how massive it must have been?

Now, see my image on the model, this is where I'm standing in the video.  And here's a collage of stills from the video with a panoramic photo from the tower to the initial steps on top and me pointing to the tower on the left, and with the steps behind me on the right.

Just amazing, right?  So, let's start in the front - the bell tower shown below is the only one of the three original ones that remains.  And again, refer to the model - we are seeing it from "inside the church".  You have to imagine all of this is covered and we're in the main aisle way of the knave of the church looking at the alter - which would have been just behind the wall of the house on the lower left.  So this shot would have been taken approximately about 2/3 down the aisle looking into the main body of the church where the 400 monks would have been seated....chanting and singing.

When I turned around, on this same spot from looking at the bell tower, I can see way back to the main towers and the opening of the church (see the model) - and this photo shows me on the same spot with the camera shooting down the aisle to those towers.  Note the steps.......as our excellent guide, Agnes, explained - NOTHING was done "just because."  There are 35 steps here as you descend to the about center of the church.  That's to represent purgatory because according to scriptures there are 70 steps to hell.  Here to are half way and as you climb up and approach the alter you are working towards the light and your salvation!

One more look at a model, another one, all in wood, to again get the perspective.  On this one the darker wood is what remains today - the lighter is destroyed.  Note on this one....to the left, towards the towers at the entrance - see how the lower part is darker?  Those are the walls you see as you look at the photo above of me that are on either side of the steps.  Again, note the inset photo of me to show where I would have been standing.

Now....the photos as we walked around......

Here we have moved further up inside the church, at the far left of the photo would have been the alter

At a couple points they had these amazing 3-D screens that as you turned them what you were looking at now showed what it WOULD have looked like.  So, on the left we are looking down towards the alter, note the columns on the far right.  The photo on the right is as it is today - the large stone just to Kim's left is the bottom of one of those columns!

We've walked inside the bell tower and this shot is up at the height of the ceiling

You'll have to watch the highlight video of the trip once we are home to appreciate this.....our guide Agnes took off her microphone and did a monk's chant for a minute or so.  The resonation was astounding.  Now imagine an audience of hundreds of religiously dedicated medieval people, in this massive facility AND 400 monks singing and chanting.  I can tell you from just our guide doing it, it was moving and you can sense what must have taken place here.

Turning to my left - you get a sense of the immense size! - this is where the bell would have been (at the top)

Continue to the right side of the tower is a passage into a tomb.  This is the tomb for one duke - note how decorated and huge it is!

A close-up of the saints on the wall.  A few things which are hard to discern.  First, there's a platform on top of them - a statute of an apostle once stood here.  Second, they are sculpted in "3-D" so they appear to be leaping out of the wall - at the bottom are their feet apparently behind them, thus much smaller.  And finally, look closely at their noses.  They have been hacked off.  Why?  Because when the revolutionaries came to destroy this, the only way to destroy the holy spirit in a sculpture like this would be to completely destroy it OR chop off the nose....because now they can't breathe and will die!

Another amazing day!

One last look at the panoramic photo from the bell tower to the entrance steps (right-to-left)