From our 2016 trip to Europe.
There are four principal reasons for visiting the Cluny Museum. The first is to view 12th - 13th c. stained glass up-close-and-personal, some of it from Sainte-Chapelle which we visited in the previous video. This allows you to see details of the painting process, the construction, and the depth of the glass that are impossible to see in situ. Of particular note were scenes depicting an angel waking the dead at the final judgment, a baptism, Saint Timothy, and Samson and the lion.
The second reason for visiting the Cluny is to see the original carved heads of the Kings of Judah which adorned the façade of Notre Dame for 500 years from the 1200s - 1700s. Then with the coming of the French Revolution, their heads were lopped off by an angry mob who confused these biblical kings with the hated French monarchs. Thought to be lost forever, the heads were rediscovered in 1977 by a construction crew working on a nearby building. Apparently an 18th c. builder had incorporated the discarded stonework into the foundations of a home he was building for a wealthy lawyer. But the act wasn’t as callous as it might seem. The lawyer, a devout Catholic, had insisted that the builder follow the right protocol for disposing of worn religious artifacts as prescribed by the church, with all the heads buried properly and respectfully. The construction workers found the heads neatly aligned and all facing in the same direction.
The third reason is that the Cluny itself is on the site of the Roman baths constructed circa 200 AD. The 40-foot high ceiling is the largest Roman vault in France, not to be surpassed for another 1000 years. Other Roman artifacts include the square column fragments that supported the altar in the Temple of Jupiter (where Notre Dame now stands) making them the oldest man-made objects in Paris. One is inscribed TIB CAESARE indicating it is from the reign of Tiberius (AD 14 - 37). Also on display is a statue of the Roman Emperor Julian who lived next door and frequented the baths, preferring Paris to corrupt Rome as the empire decayed in the 4th century.
The other statue is of Adam, carved circa 1260 and displayed on the south façade of Notre Dame Cathedral for 500 years until the time of the French Revolution. Other early religious artifacts are also on display.
The fourth major reason for visiting the Cluny Museum is to see the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries. These extremely rare 15th c. tapestries are rich in detail and symbolism.
