Churches in Paris and elsewhere

This church is actually   built on the square where they did Joan of Arc in (burned her alive in fact), back in 1431. We still have the transcript of her trial, where she is accused of being a heretic, wearing men’s clothes and generally being up to no good. It was made into a fascinating film by Robert Bresson. After feeling she was seeing visions of Michael the Archangel and his mates, she became a military leader and has some success in the job, before getting on the wrong side of powerful people. At one point she recanted her views, and might have escaped execution, but then withdrew her recantation. Once she was dead, she was soon rehabilitated – only 18 years later, and made a saint – only 480 years later. There is a great museum about her trial just round the corner. Anyway, a modern church,   it was opened in 1979, but contains some 16th century stained glass which had been hidden away during the war. But also lovely modern furnishings, lectern etc.  

Lisbon Cathedral/ Sé de Lisboa Lisbon cathedral was first built in 1147 ; it was built on the site of the main mosque of Lisbon, once the Christian crusaders had won out (and, presumably, destroyed the mosque). And pretty solid it is, since it survived the big earthquake. In the 1380s an angry crowd threw a bishop off the top, because they suspected him of plotting with a foreign power. Fine rose window, beautiful volumes and some good statues. At   the beginning of the 20th century, most of the neoclassical decoration from outside and inside of the cathedral was removed to make the cathedral look more medieval.