Medievial Musicians, dancers and acrobats

A "villa Tauriaca" was given to the Bishop of Le Mans already in 585 by some Alderic. At that time probably a chapel existed here. The portal seen today dates to the 12th. century - and it is unusual, as it does have tympana in the flanking arches. Modifications were made, when the church got fortified in the 16th century, but meanwhile the portal is pretty much back to the original state. Most capitals and corbels of the church are undamaged. The musician, holding his vielle, is obviously impressed by the flexibility of his neighbour (see previous upload).

Santa Cruz de Castañeda Santa Cruz de Castañeda was founded around the 10th century as a Cluniac Benedictine monastery. In the 12th century, it became a collegiate church run by canons of the Order of St Augustine. At that time, it was a royal domain, the dominion of which Alfonso XI ceded to his son Don Tello in the 14th century, who then passed it on to the Manrique family. In 1420, the church appears as the property of Doña Aldonza Téllez de Castilla and her husband García Fernández Manrique, Count of Castañeda from 1430. All that remains of the original monastery is the church, which was built in the 12th century in Romanesque style and whose appearance has been altered by additions and renovations. The church serves the parish since 1851 A musician playing a vielle

Santa Cruz de Castañeda Santa Cruz de Castañeda was founded around the 10th century as a Cluniac Benedictine monastery. In the 12th century, it became a collegiate church run by canons of the Order of St Augustine. At that time, it was a royal domain, the dominion of which Alfonso XI ceded to his son Don Tello in the 14th century, who then passed it on to the Manrique family. In 1420, the church appears as the property of Doña Aldonza Téllez de Castilla and her husband García Fernández Manrique, Count of Castañeda from 1430. All that remains of the original monastery is the church, which was built in the 12th century in Romanesque style and whose appearance has been altered by additions and renovations. The church serves the parish since 1851 A musician playing a harp

Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, just 7kms east of Castelviel, is a bastide, founded in 1281 Edward I of England (aka "Edward Longshanks"), who ,as a vasall of the French king, was Duke of Aquitaine. Though the wall around the bastide was demolished in the 19th century, to give room for urban development, four of the old gates still exist. The hamlet of Le Puch, just north of Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, has this church, dedicated to Saint Christopher in the center of its cemetery. It dates back to the 11th century. Though it got altered and restored many times. The 12th-century-portal has a row of seven corbels. On the right hand side is this complex corbel. Three persons are to be seen. A musician with a large harp or psaltery to he right. Two acrobats to the left. One contortionist is seen performing (feet on his head), while the other one pulls his long beard.

Not much is known about the history of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, an outstanding example of the specific "style saintongeais". As the structure is so masterly built and has such sophisticated carvings, it is believed, that this was a priory church, when it was built mid of the 12th century. The apse of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption has an enormous richness on Romanesque carvings. Some corbels depict musicians and acrobats. This musician plays the vielle. The posture is typical for violinists today.

Parthenay is a very well fortified town, sited on a rocky spur, surrounded by the River Thouet. It has a (now ruined) castle inside and is known since the 11th century. Many pilgrims, following a branch of the Via Turonensis passed through here. The main gate of Parthenay, where the pilgrims once entered the town, still bears the name of Saint Jaques. Notre-Dame-de-la-Couldre, built in the 12th century, was the parish church of Partenay, while Sainte-Croix (previous uploads) was a Collegiate church. In 1623 the church was taken over by Ursulines, who had a convent here. After the French Revolution the church was sold as "National Property". The new owner, a former priest, planned to establish a spinning mill, but failed - and ruined the buildings. In 1847 the Ursulines opened a private school and integrated the ruins into the surrounding buildings. The school is still existing, here is the website: www.ndlacouldre.com/ Only the lower section of the Romanesque facade and the apse survived the times. The facade (see previous upload) is very damaged. Here are two musicians, carved in the lavish "style saintonge". The left one holds a vielle, the right musician plays the harp. To the very right either Samson or Daniel and a lion. Most of the artworks, that could be moved out from here, are now in museums in Paris, Bostson, New York, Cambridge ..

The parish church Saint-André is placed on a little hill in the center of the village (pop. 300) - since more than 800 years. It is still surrounded by an old graveyard. The church got renovated, when the late Gothic style was in full swing, what has left some marks. The apse is unchanged and many corbels are under the roof. He is such a gifted musician. The soft music did never stir up the hornets' nest. All the insects love him.

Monks, lay brothers and workers from the Benedictian Abbaye royale of Saint-Jean-d'Angély (20kms northwest), started to build this church end of the 11th century. The Benedictian abbey, part of the cluniac network, had been founded by Louis the Pious´ son Pepin I of Aquitaine in the 9th century. Given up during the Viking raids, the abbey grew rich, famous and important, when the Via Turonensis developed. Thousends of pilgrims followed that way and as a relic of John the Baptist was kept in the abbey, this was a major halt on the "chemin". The abbey sponsored the building of dozends of churches in the Poitou. The church was dedicated to Saint-Hérie (aka "Saint Arediu", "Arède d'Atane"). The village around the church was consequently named "Saint-Herie" before it got merged into the small town of Matha. During the 100 Years´War, the area changed hands a couple of times, before the "Battle of Taillebourg" 1242 (30kms west) ended the "Saintonge-War". The Wars of Religion were even worse for Saint-Hérie. Only the facade and the southern wall of the nave survived the fury. Matha was a stronghold of the Huguenots, who were evicted and exiled after the "Edict of Nantes" got revoked in 1685. Following that all protestant churches existing in the town got leveled to the ground. Though only two outside walls of the Romanesque structure are standing, there are many nice corbels. Here are two musician, one with a horn, the other with pan pipes.

Notre-Dame de Surgères was erected in the center of a large castle in the 12th century. The fortification, founded in the 9th century as a motte, when the area was raided by the Vikings, then guarded the border of the historical province of Aunis once. When the church was built a small town had developed around the defence already. Later a small priory and a "hopital" existed, as this was a halt on the Via Turonensis. The pilgrims had a lot to gape here, the facade is stunning 23 meters wide. Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1152, so the area changed hands and was ruled by the House of Plantagenet. During the Hundred Years' War Surgères experienced a long period of decline. Louis XI´s troops conquered the town in 1472 and the fortifications got destructed. During that time Notre Dame lost the tower and large parts of the nave, but not the facade! Six blind arches once flanked the door, five arches above them on "the second floor". There are more than 100 capitals and corbels all over the facade. This seems to be a medieval encyclopedia. A musician, playing the vielle and - two dancers/contortionists. As the dancers have different sizes, there is obviously one in the foreground and one in the background.

Maillezais, a small town with a population of less than 1000, is known for it´s old monastery, founded in the very swampy "Marais Poitevin" in 989. It developed well, when the land around got reclaimed. Later even was a bishop´s see was here. Only some ruins are left of the former Gothic cathedral, as it was burned down by Huguenots during the Wars of Religion and sold as a quarry to local entrepreneurs after the French Revolution. Saint Nicolas, the parish church had a better fate, though vandalized and severely damaged during the Wars of Religion as well, it did not get ruined like the cathedral. The western facade is built in the "style saintonge" with the flanking blind arches. Capitals and corbels decorate the walls of the nave and the apse. Many corbels are renovated, sometimes even missing parts have been replaced. Here is a duo, that must have sucessfully toured around western France in the 12th century, as the musician playing the vielle and his collegue, the harpist, can be found under the roofs of many churches.

The first church here was founded by William V, Duke of Aquitaine, (aka "William the Great", "Guillaume le Grand") around 1000. He was the son of William "Fierebras" (= iron arm). His daughter Agnes of Poitou was the wife of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. As a widow she was known as "Empress Agnes". William the Great was a supporter of the abbey in nearby Maillezais, so it is no surprise, that a priory was founded here. "Notre Dame" the former church of that priory now serves as parish church of Vouvant, a village of less than a thousand inhabitants. The church was erected within the 11th and 12th century - and very soon after in was completed, the western front got demolished and the nave got enlarged. Obviously a great number of monks and laybrothers lived here at that time, reclaiming land in the swampy "Marais Poitevin". Just like the abbey in Maillezais, the priory in Vouvant suffered great damages during the 100 Year´s War. It got later looted and ruined during the Wars of Religion. The priory went under - and the church crumbled until the first restaurations were done in 1882. The works ended the same year due to lack of funds. After a recent renovation, the church now is in a good condition. Of course, there are many corbels under the roof around the apse. I have choosen this musician,who is probably a brilliant, dedicated singer, but a mediocre instrumentalist. I am sure, everybody knew him as the Johnny Hallyday of his time.

Thouars was an Aquitanien fortress, placed in a loop of the river Thouet. It was conquered and burnt down in 762 down by Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, who was accompanied by his 14 years old son, the future Charlemagne. In medieval times, the town prospered, and in the 12th century a large basilica-style church named "Saint-Médard-des-Champs" was erected just outside the city walls. Today this church is in the center of the town, that once was a stronghold of the Huguenots. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685) Thouars lost about half of its population, as most of the Huguenots migrated. The facade of Saint-Médard is created in the late Romanesque "style poitevin". The facade got "heavily" renovated during the 1870s. Here are two of the facade´s capitals. The the left is a musician accompanied by devils, probably standing for profane (sinful) music. To the right a man, being caught by the ears by a bird and a dragon. I doubt, that these carvings date back to the 12th century. They are so smooth, mint and complete, compared to other parts of the facade. I have the impression that they were added during the renovation end of the 19th century.

The former Abbey Church in the village of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes, that now serves the parish, has a total length of 72,30 meters and all of the 600 people living in Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes would easily find a chair inside. The church is a gem of poitevin architecture. When Prosper Mérimée visited Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes mid 19th century, the church were in a very bad state. Photograps taken some decades later show, that the facade was ruined. Prosper Mérimée efforts started a reconstruction and renovation process. The first renovation, that finally saved the church, was undertaken from 1889 to 1920. The history of the abbey dates back to the 4th century, when Jovinus (French "Jouin") in 342 founded a small oratory near a place named Ensio. Not much is known about Jovinus. He may have been borne in a wealthy family. It is believed, that his was brother of Saint Maximin, the first Bishop of Treves. The oratory developed into a monastery over the next decades, that was the second monastery existing in France, just after Saint-Martin-de-Ligugé, founded by St. Martin of Tours himself in 361. During the 7th century, the bishop of Nantes asked Martin de Vertou to christianise the area. This mission led him to Ension where he imposed Saint Benoit’s rule. The small monastery was never threatend by the Normanic raids, as it was far away from large rivers. So it could offer refuge to the monks of "Saint Martin de Vertou", who left their monastery and brought the relics of their founding Saint, in 843. The erection of the Abbey Church took place between 1095 and 1130, when an old Roman road, known under the name of "Saint Hilaire’s Way" was followed by pilgrims on their way to Santiago. At that time the road was one of the many that belonged all to the "Via Turonensis". During the 100 Years´War and during the Wars of Religion the monastery got attacked and plundered. The Battle of Moncontour between the Catholic armee and the Huguenots was fought in 1569 only about 5kms west. Monastic life was ended by the French Revolution in 1789. The Abbey was sold as national property. The church serves as a parish church since 1795. Parts of the former conventual buildings now belong to a privatly owned farm, next to the church. It seems, that the couple to left got inspired, when the musician to the right started to play love songs on the vielle. A vandal did not like, what the couple obviously is doing, - and damaged the corbel.

A papal bull issued by Pope Alexander III in 1163 mentions this small church as part of the priory "Saint-Denis" in Vaux (sur Vienne), about 10 kms west). The church, dedicated to Sulpice le Pieux, was erected end of the 11th century in a primitive Romanesque style, not at all influenced by the more elegant "style saintonge". Along the western facade runs a gallery, what is rather unique. It is lined with stone benches and probably was the meeting place for the villagers over centuries. The church got remodeled during the 17th century, when it got enlarged and a chapel was added. During the French Revolution the church got damaged. The crumbling apse got demolished and rebuilt during a disputed restauration end of the 19th century. The church is small, but has about 20 carved capitals, that were obviously created by three different workshops, who all had their specific style. The capitals seen on the previous uploads were connected to pilgrimage/politics and were carevd in a very detailed style. This capital is carved in a very rough style by another workshop. A musician playing a vielle - two birds - a very nice flutist - and a dancer, who seems to dance the twist. If this is right, the names of the birds can only be "Chubby" and "Checker". Here is, what I mean: www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9XuJJXylw

Puente la Reina ( aka "Gares") was an important place in medieval times, as here the "Camino Aragonés" joined the "Camino Francés". The pilgrims having crossed the Pyrenees via the Somport met their collegues, who had used the Roncevaux Pass. A bridge over the Rio Arga gave the name to the town. It was built within the 11th century, commissioned either by Doña Mayor, wife of Sancho III, or by Doña Estefanía, wife of García III of Navarra. The "Iglesia de Santiago" is located on the Rua Mayor, right in the center of Puente la Reina. The church was built within the 12th century, but rebuilt about 3 centuries later and so mixed Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The masterly carved late Romanesque portal shows Moorish influence. There are five unfortunately very weathered archivolts. Here are details from two of them. The lower one depicts fish, the upper may depict (left) a centaur (?), two humanoids with strange tails, holding spears and a musician playing a stringed instrument (vielle) with a bow. He is as well equipped with a long tail.

Early morning in the small village of Oloriz. The parish church San Bartolomé was erected within the 12th century and altered some centuries later. As the church was locked, I could only take some photos of the exterior. On of the corbels depicts a musician, playing a "dolio", an instrument that must have been popular in Northern Spain during the 12th century. Ray ("adfinem") has some information about this instrument: www.flickr.com/photos/adfinem/sets/72157631018070244/

San Pedro de Echano (aka "Ermita de San Pedro de Echano") is not easy to find, as the church is a few kilometers east of Oloriz in the middle of fields and bushland. In medieval times, when the church got erected, there might have been a village or settlement nearby, but nowadays there are no houses near to the church. This church was a big surprise and I was lucky, to find the door open. A wedding was scheduled for that afternoon and so the interior of the church got cleaned and decorated. Under the roof of San Pedro de Echano are more than 30 carved corbels. There is a group of musicians. This musician plays the dolio. There are even two "dolionists" here, and a third one was under the roof of San Bartolomé, only a few kilometers west. Dolios must have been very popular here more than 800 years ago. Ray ("adfinem") has some information about this instrument: www.flickr.com/photos/adfinem/sets/72157631018070244/

San Pedro de Echano (aka "Ermita de San Pedro de Echano") is not easy to find, as the church is a few kilometers east of Oloriz in the middle of fields and bushland. In medieval times, when the church got erected, there might have been a village or settlement nearby, but nowadays there are no houses near to the church. This church was a big surprise and I was lucky, to find the door open. A wedding was scheduled for that afternoon and so the interior of the church got cleaned and decorated. Under the roof of San Pedro de Echano are more than 30 carved corbels. A group of musicians has gathered under the roof, this one, holding a vielle, differs from the other, not only as this guy is clothed more luxuriously. There are some unusual carvings here, that look a bit like portraits. A "typical Romanesque" sculptures would depict rather a "typical musician", but this is more an individual person.