Avy - Notre-Dame

Avy is a small a village just about 5kms south of Pons. The parish church Notre-Dame d'Avy was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, typical for the Saintonge. Severely damaged during the Hundred Years' War the church was rebuilt later in Gothic style.

This is the church I have visited most often of all small churches in the Saintonge - and was always impressed.

I remember the day, sitting in front of the facade and counting the Elders of the Apocalypse (outer archivolt). Here are 36 Elders (the "Book of Revelation" only knows 24). Later I learned, that this number may have been a status symbol. In Saintes (Abbaye aux Dames) I found even 54 Elders. In Aulnay are 31 Elders..

But this time I did not just sit in front of the facade, counting Elders and Angels, this time I walked around and used the binoculars to see "younger" the part (and the tower) that got built just after the Hundred Years' War. I found these three sculptures up on the roof, near the tower´s base.

An ass, carrying a sack, a damaged (sitting?) person and a pig.

I remember having seen similar sculptures in Rosheim and Guebwiller (Alsace) more than 800 ks northwest.