Since Chartres is only a 1-1/2 hour drive from Paris, we chose it as our first stop after our overnight flight from Boston. Best known for its famous Gothic Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, it proved to be the perfect destination before driving to the Loire Valley. While we would only be there overnight, it would be long enough to make another visit to the Cathedral and the Maison Picassiette, the House of Mosaics which I had discovered while researching Chartres before leaving home.
The next morning, we drove from the hotel and found Maison Picassiette on a narrow side street about a mile away from the Cathedral. Not visible from the street, luckily Mike spotted the sign on our 3rd pass down the road. After we paid a small entry fee, we found we were the only visitors which gave us a chance to enjoy the small rooms and see the mosaic walls up close. Every inch of the small house and its furnishings were decorated with mosaics made from broken plates, including the kitchen table!
It took Raymond Isidore (aka Picassiette) over 30 years to accomplish this. The background story about Raymond is fascinating. He lost his sight when he was 2 years old and when visiting the Chartres Cathedral at age 10, he miraculously recovered his sight. It was the first time he saw the colors of the stained glass windows which must have been remarkable for a young child who had lived in darkness for 8 years.
After he married, he built a house (1938) and decided to decorate the inside with pieces of broken crockery and colored glass he had collected. Later, after the war in 1945, he started on the exterior. The result is the colorful and unique art work that Mike and I saw when we toured this small house and garden. From the beautiful winding walkways in the courtyard accented with planters, to the garden statuary in the garden, we were amazed with the colorful designs. There was even a small Chapel in blues and golds decorated from floor to ceiling with mosaic. (Photo below)
In one courtyard, Raymond built a tribute to Chartres Cathedral with a miniature cathedral as the focal point against a backdrop of white and gray mosaics of the cathedral depicted on the walls. The Cathedral was a recurrent theme throughout the exterior of the house.
One special section of the garden included the Throne of the Sky’s Spirit, as can be seen in the photo below that includes a throne as well as different sized garden pots.
The detail throughout the house and grounds was remarkable and reveals the passion and creativity as well as the unbelievable perseverance that Raymond brought to this 30 plus year project. You can see the detail of his work in the photo below.
I was even able to find a small mosaic owl in the gift shop to take home as a souvenir. It joins our other keepsakes that reminds us of the places we visit.
Maison Picassiette, while not in any travel guide books, was certainly worth the visit. Finding “off the beaten track” spots is what makes travel so rewarding.
The Rose Journal 