Crypte Et Cathedrale de Bourges

Dominating the medieval city with unparalleled architectural audacity, Bourges Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a masterpiece of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. Its unique silhouette, lacking a transept, is striking for its imposing width and its five incredibly richly sculpted portals. Inside, its 13th-century stained-glass windows bathe the nave in a sacred, colored light, while its soaring proportions testify to the spiritual power of the former capital of Berry. Beneath its flagstones lies a more secret treasure: its monumental crypt, one of the largest in France. Built on a slope to support the choir of the building, this crypt—or lower church—is surprisingly bright. It houses the remains of the Romanesque cathedral as well as the recumbent effigy of Duke Jean de Berry, a true jewel of medieval sculpture. It is a fascinating immersion into the stone bowels of the monument, where medieval engineering meets eternity.