Senlis

[Deleted]

Senlis is one of those medieval towns whose center was irrevocably created by fortified ramparts surrounding the original village ten centuries or more ago. Senlis had Gallo-Roman ramparts, followed by medieval ramparts, so the shape of the central core has been invariable since olden times, even when certain walls were later replaced by boulevards.

Since Senlis is only 42 kilometers north of Paris, I decided to return there for a late afternoon visit yesterday, although I knew that my rental Smart would not like it at all. The Smart is much too small a car for them to worry about things like suspension, and the cobblestones of Senlis are real killers.

One reason that they keep them that way is because Senlis is a movie star. It is often used as a setting in movies that take place several centuries ago, because in quite a few parts of town, all you have to do is throw a bit of straw and manure on the roadway, cover up a few signs and start filming.

Of course, one movie that took place specifically in Senlis was Séraphine, about the artist Séraphine de Senlis. However, that only took the city back about 80 years.

When you enter Senlis, you inevitably see the deer statue. Senlis is very close to major forests like Chantilly, Compiègne or Beauvais, and hunting was one of the principle sports of royalty.

There are still lots of pleasant large esplanades outside of the ramparts.

However, Senlis is an extremely bourgeois city, so care is taken everywhere. Even the supermarkets are put in buildings a bit fancier than in other towns of the area.

Senlis closed its train station back in 1950 because they didn't much care for the riff raff from Paris coming to their restaurants on the weekend. I noticed lots of middle aged people walking around town when I was there, carrying a glossy real estate catalogue. Old stones, exposed beams and tiled roofs seem to exert an irresistable attraction on a lot of people as they grow older. Senlis, Chantilly, Beauvais and Compiègne are among the picturesque towns filling up with the elderly.

[Deleted]

The killer cobblestones!





The shopping streets are pretty much the same as in any town this size, just in older buildings.

But it was time for me to look for the cathedral before it closed...

[bixaorellana]

It's groomed to a fare-thee-well, isn't it?! Lovely presentation, Kerouac. Can't wait to see the rest.

[Deleted]

There is a little itinerary with arrows to follow to get to the cathedral. Since you can see the spires from just about anywhere, this is not really necessary, but it is probably better for the tranquility of the town to channel the tourists through empty courtyards and walled streets.

Here we are!

I have been living in Paris long enough to feel as though I were born here, and I think Notre Dame de Paris looks about as perfect as a cathedral can look from the outside -- harmonious and symmetrical. I don't understand all of these other places who felt that it was perfectly fine to build the towers in two completely different styles just because 200 or 300 years had passed. If they thought the first tower looked old fashioned, they should have demolished it and built two identical towers, dammit!

Oh well, too late now.

The cathedral is in any case not very big, which is hardly surprising since until 50 years ago the population was only 7000. It is amazing that they have a cathedral at all, so they definitely get points for that.

I knew I wouldn't be overwhelmed and I wasn't.

The front door is closed as usual in such places, so you have to go in on the side. This doesn't really disturb me, having grown up in the U.S. where you often enter the house through the side door -- or sometimes just through the garage (like at my parents' house in Florida).

This might be worth further investigation -- the idea that in many places the front door is reserved for strangers and enemies (e.g. Jehovah's Witnesses), while friends and family have a more intimate but less prestigious access elsewhere. But probably a photo thread about Senlis is not the place for this.

You can always tell which windows are modern -- they are often quite nice, but they are also signed.





All in all, the cathedral has the usual collection of statuary, candles, paintings and icons.

I am not a big fan of spiritual supermarkets, but I have signed a reciprocal non agression pact with the occult powers, so I will give this place a passing grade.

[bjd]

Oh, I'm a big fan of visiting churches wherever I am. Especially old ones. Senlis cathedral looks quite bright -- certainly because the stained glass windows behind the altar were demolished.

I just had a look on Wikipedia -- I didn't find any population figures for a long time ago, but Senlis was a royal city and it's high point was the period of the 11th and 12th centuries. And it was a bishopric, hence the cathedral.

Your pics are nice, as usual, but I don't think I will look for any real estate in Senlis.

[lagatta]

Still no public transport from Paris to there? Pity, I wouldn't mind a visit some time I'm in Paris.

[Deleted]

Nope. You have to take a bus from Beauvais, Chantilly or Orry-la-Ville. Municipal buses inside the city are free.

[Deleted]

I don't know what this old church was, but I liked the fact that it had returned a bit to nature.

[Deleted]

[Deleted]

One thing that I don't like about towns like Senlis is the secret life of the bourgeoisie. They don't want you to know what their house looks like, what their garden looks like or anything else.

There is an annoying French expression, "Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés." (To live happily, live in hiding.)

[Deleted]

If you're willing to pay, there are certain secret areas to which you can have access.











I saw that certain old places had changed function over the years,even if it took 800 or so years.

It was sometimes decided that gothic arches were unacceptably passé.




Interesting to see that such a place has become a juvenile detention center.



It was getting late, according to the clock on city hall.



Evening shadows were moving across the old bricks.

But even with its faults, I enjoyed Senlis. How can you not like a place that used to have a special market for rabbits and brooms?

Senlis used to have a medieval festival every year, with costumed characters strolling through the streets. I can attest to having seen it myself, because I have some friends who lived there for several years and I saw these characters in person, with pointy hats, long dresses and veils.

However, when doing a web search about it, I found no trace of the festival after 2007.

Perhaps Senlis found that it attracted too many outsiders.

Strange little town!

[fumobici]

Love it. Pretty much an idealized little French town, and you appear to have captured its charm with your sensitive and perceptive photos. Looks well worth a day trip from the city.

[bjd]

I like the old church that is being taken over by vegetation but I must admit that the rest of the town is just not for me. It looks like Bruges or some picture-perfect place that nobody would actually live in, just arrive for work wearing some old-fashioned costume and wander the streets to pose for photographs (like the Venice carnival).

I admit that it's odd that I have reactions like this -- I certainly would have liked it better when I first arrived in France from Canada. Now I enjoy livelier places. This is probably why I never go to the 7th arrondissement in Paris either.

[Deleted]

I sometimes wonder about old time religion -- that old church is more striking for its Hounds of Hell gargoyles than any other feature. Did demon dogs run with Jesus?

[bjd]

Actually, I'll take back my snarky comments about boring places. I just had a look at the French Wiki page about Senlis and it has a long and very interesting history.

[zona]

May 29, 2011 17:11:07 GMT kerouac2 said:

I don't understand all of these other places who felt that it was perfectly fine to build the towers in two completely different styles just because 200 or 300 years had passed. If they thought the first tower looked old fashioned, they should have demolished it and built two identical towers, dammit!

Agreed -- I have always wondered why some cathedral towers were asymmetrical. It always looks a bit "off" to me.

I liked the photos of the overgrown church with its interesting gargoyles very much! Even though I will probably never see Senlis in person, it seems a quaint/picturesque town and I am not surprised they film movies there. Great post!

[thill25]

This makes me want to go back and do some more driving around the small towns.