Charles the Bald (840-877) or Charles III (893-923) Reissue

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 A Visitor's Guide to Carolingian France
III: Normandy and Brittany

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Charles the Bald AR denier, 20mm, 1.51gr. Obv: +GRATIA D-I REX, central KRLS monogram. Rev: +CARNOT'IS CIVITAS, ('O' is diamond shaped), central cross. Mint is Chartres. R 1405; MG 933 or 937; Dep 11 A1, Type 864-875, 278 (147 examples); Bel 115.

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The cathedral at Chartres is best known today for its stained glass, the second best glass in France (visit St. Chapelle in Paris on a cloudy day for a stunning experience). The cathedral is built on the base of an earlier Romanesque church, which, in turn, is built on the site of an earlier church. The crypt of St. Lubin was the base of the 9th century church and is the Carolingian destination in Chartres. Treasures of the cathedral were placed here and survived the great fire of 1194. There is also a well, the ‘puits des Saints Forts,’ whose name dates from 858 in the reign of Charles the Bald. The story is that Christian martyrs were murdered by invading Viking groups and thrown down this well. The entrance to the crypt is on the right of the choir, about 2/3’s of the way to the back on the outside of the church.  Enjoy the stained glass while you're there. The schematic shows the outline of the church and the crypt. The red area includes the Carolingian elements. Successive foundations of the cathedral expand outward. The diagram is from Michelin - Northern France 132. The photo to the right shows part of the Carolingian crypt. Here's a picture of the well site. The front is newer. You can look in and see the depth of the well, which is now covered by a grate. Unfortunately, there was trash on the grate, so looking down is better left to the imagination.

Chartres is 90 KM SW of Paris on the A11. If you approach it from the S in the summer you might see the cathedral in the distance with fields of sunflowers in the foreground - a great view.

The abbey was rebuilt in the 10th century by William Longsword. He was a descendant of Rollo, the Viking invader settled in Normandy by Charles the III. The new abbey was rebuilt on a site destroyed by earlier Viking invaders, an interesting irony and reflection of the Francofication of the Normans. The church is a ruin but there are surviving elements of 10th century Norman architecture. No crypt. The twin towers are the distinctive element of this abbey church and subsequently became common in other Norman and English churches. The images above are from Stalley (52 and 210). The schematic below shows the church of St. Pierre, upper right, "where the porch and the first bays are Norman Carolingian." This image is from Michelin, Normandy (238). The two photos below the schematic show different views of St. Pierre. On the left is the facade looking in and on the right is a view of the interior looking out. The abbey grounds are delightful and worth a visit if you are in the area.
 
 

This is a must visit for all travelers to this part of France. The site is stunning and well defended. The site goes back to the 8th century but what you see today is much newer – 13-15th century. There is a Carolingian crypt (about 26x30’) that is available if you take the guided tour and are willing to walk up many steep steps to get to the abbey. The crypt is actually a small chapel, Our Lady Underground (sous terre). If you make it this far you can reward yourself on the way down with an omlette – Mont St. Michel claims to be the home of the omlette.

The sketch below, from a Michelin Guide Vert, shows the location of the Carolingian church, under the shelf to the left of the top profile of the abbey. Mont St. Michel is on a rocky island that is surrounded by water at high tide. It is fascinating to watch the tide come in - it moves fast.
 
 
 

Mont St. Michel is in Brittany, 360 km from Paris, right on the coast. Go SW from Paris to Rennes and head N on N776 or take a more wandering route from Chartres.