Boscherville - Abbaye Saint-Georges

This is the entrance to the chapter house of the former "Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville", founded by a chamberlain of William the Conqueror, and in existence upto the French Revolution.

The abbey church serves the parish since then. Most buildings of the abbey got demolished after the Revolution, but the chapter house survived. I had been here about 10 years ago, when this part of the abbey was closed. This time I had more luck - and was surprised by originality and quality of the carvings.

A crowned king on a horse and a person on the ground. An popular icon in medieval times, mostly interpreted as Constantine the Great, trampling down heathenism, or St. James, leading the Reconquista. This one is different, as to the left a queen (?) presents the "Fleur-de-Lys".

Actually the couple may be Clovis I and his wife Clotilde. The legend tells, that after the Battle of Tolbiac (496), an angel gave the lilies to Clotilde. As Clovis got baptised after the battle there may be a connection to the previous capital.