193 Metz, France, St Stephen's cathedral - making dragons flee

 Metz, France, St Stephen's cathedral - making dragons flee

Nicely renovated Gothic cathedral - building began in 13th century; stained glass by Marc Chagall, allegedly better known for floating lovers and green violinists. I actually worked in the town of Metz in the East of France for a couple of years in the late nineties, but this was before I was heavily into churches, so I found I remembered nothing about this cathedral when, in 2024, I was in town for a day’s work.

The church includes commemoration of the story of Saint Clément, a gentle medieval dragon-tamer, whose stole was enough to persuade Billy dragon to make tracks (dragon suggestion shown). There is a fabulous pulpit which looks like my grandfather’s radiogram, as well as a grander one, and a Latin inscription reminding you to go to confession(John 20:23). I found the modern matching altar table and lectern particularly beautiful.

This is the church in France with the largest area of stained glass, and contains more Gothic stained glass than anywhere else in Europe. When Germany occupied Metz during the Second War, the ancient stained glass windows were taken away and stored in a mine somewhere.

J. Bossuet worked here - he is renowned as one of the greatest orators of 17th-century France. A key defender of  Catholicism and royal authority, he famously articulated the doctrine of the divine right of kings .

Paul Verlaine was born in Metz in1844 , and mentions the cathedral in his memoirs.