Morlaàs - Sainte-Foy

In 1080, when Morlaàs was in its heydays, the building of this church started by Centulle V, Viscount of Béarn, who had to make an atonement.
Morlaàs developed to an important "étape" on the Via Tolosana at that time. As the church was dedicated to St. Foy there was a kind of "link" to Conques. Later the pilgrimage business declined, the viscounts had moved away, wars arose.... The church burnt down in 1520, got severely damaged in 1569. During the French Revolution the church turned to a "Temple of Reason". The restorations of the 19th century saved the structure.

Viollet-le-Duc, the influential "Inspecteur général des Edifices Diocésains" led the restoration of the portal. At all places, where he worked (eg "Carcassonne", "Vézelay"), he "recreated" and creatively "completed", what is a method, that is disputed meanwhile.

After having seen the mint condition of the portal, carved by great masters, I returned to the apses. The construction of the building had started here in 1080, so the carvings seen here are way older than that ones of the portal and they are much rougher. Here is a nude monkey on a capital flanking a small window.