Yes, you read that right: the Aube department has half of France’s stained-glass windows!
To be more precise on the topic, the Aube department has 9,000 m2 of stained-glass windows (1) dating from before the French Revolution, which would be enough to cover a (very large) football stadium! And that is not including the stained-glass windows that were made since then.
This wonderful collection is spread across 350 civil and religious buildings, both public and private, including 220 churches listed for their stained-glass heritage. More than 2,000 windows are protected as historic monuments.
The Aube department is in itself a compendium of the history of stained glass in the West, offering a comprehensive overview of this art from the 12th century to the present day.
So why does the Aube department, which is a small department, possess such a treasure trove?
The answer lies largely in the history of Troyes and the Aube department. There are three main factors: periods of great prosperity, which encouraged the expansion of this art form; two World Wars, which spared the city and department; and finally, an uninterrupted creative and restoration work throughout the millennium.
This is what you will discover in more details through the next episodes.
(1) In this and subsequent episodes, we will use the words “stained-glass windows”, “stained glass” and “windows” interchangeably to refer to a coloured glass panel.