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While in France, ostensibly to pick grapes, I was fortunate that my great friend Aleth wanted to see some of the surrounding towns, and so we ventured out to Cluny about an hour and half to the south I believe. |
| We were determined to see the Abbey and see it we did |  |
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It is really pretty cool. Founded in 910 it endured
in prosperity and in decline until the French Revolution in 1798 when it
was nationalized and sold in 1791 and some buildings were torn down...
It was however, classified in 1862 as an historic building |
| This large tower which is still standing dates back to the 11th century and is nearly 30 meters in height (that's over 60 feet and built without buttresses) and are some of the tallest Romanesque vaults in the world. |  |
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| This, I believe, is the 13th century Gothic portion of the abbey |  |
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But Aleth and I got a bit turned around in our tour and ended up finding a technical college, much like MIT... it was at the end of this colonnade and up a flight of stairs |
| Here a very well informed student gave Aleth a great deal of the tradition and history of the school |  |
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I was especially taken with these beautiful keys made by each graduating class - filled with symbolism and much tradition also... the museum is very interesting as well and worth a visit. |
| And ,beside, I am a sucker for old buildings |  |
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They also have some famous stables and horses as well |
| And a lovely town with a delightful cafe or two. |  |
