Friday, September 18, 2020 | Written by Kaela
METZ, FRANCE
I was not able to go on the GTL organized tour of downtown Metz, so I was grateful that I was able to have this experience with my international affairs class. Despite being just a fifteen minute bike ride away, I had not visited downtown Metz until a week into the program. One cathedral, two museums, three hours, and eight-thousand steps later, I was exhausted, but baffled that I am living so close to such an amazing city.
We started off the tour by visiting the Cathédrale de Metz. From the outside, it looks like most French cathedrals – dark windows, gothic style architecture, and intricate carvings. After walking in, your eye is immediately drawn upwards towards one of the highest naves in the world. The dark windows become colorful and bright with the light shining through.
With an area of 6,496 square meters or 69,920 square feet, the Cathédrale de Metz has the largest display of stained glass in the world. To give you an idea of its magnitude, the rose window on the west work alone is about 37 feet (or 7.5 Kaelas). Our guide walked us through the history of the windows and the stories they tell. One piece I found interesting was the Garden of Eden Window by Marc Chagall. The four sections of the window depict different parts of the story of Adam and Eve all intricately tied together.
What captivated me the most about the cathedral is the story each window paints. At first glance, most ofthe stained glass appears to be some mix of various colorful pieces, but with a bit more observation you are able to make out the religious figures and the stories they tell.We then made our way to the Musée de La Cour d’Or. The museum houses artifacts, paintings, roman baths, and even skeletons! We did not get to spend much time here, but our guide did her best to point out notable pieces and I’m planning on making a second visit to fully experience the museum. Luckily, entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and students enter for just 3.30 euros!
Le Centre Pompidou Metz was our final stop. It’s Metz’s modern art museum, that I believe, vaguely, resembles a crepe on a stick. Having just finished touring the Musée de La Cour d’Or, visiting the Centre Pompidou was a complete change in pace. While the Musée de La Cour d’Or is filled with older, historical pieces, the Pompidou, is new and modern with ever changing displays. I loved the exhibition in the third level.
Hanging from wall to wall, window to window, and ceiling to floor, noodle-like glass filled the room, leaving just enough space for you to walk between the glittering displays. All of this is accompanied by large windows on each end of the floor that overlook downtown Metz. From the opposite end of the building, the Cathédrale de Metz fills the entire window and seems larger than life but as you approach the window it begins to shrink. This optical illusion caught me off guard. Despite walking closer towards the cathedral, it seemed to move further away. Just as the Musée de La Cour d’Or, the Centre Pompidou warrants a second, more thorough visit (and thanks to Georgia Tech-Lorraine, we have a card that allows unlimited visits)!
