Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: sailing ship

Saint-Palais, the parish church of Saint-Palais (pop. ~500), dates back to the 12th century, when it was dependent of the Premonstratensian abbey in neighbouring Pleine Selve. Two of the many little graffiti, people carved into the walls. A sailing ship to the left and a sole to the right. Such soles can be found everywhere aloung the old "caminoes". Ships are typical for the western side of France, as many people from Britain reached this area by ship and then continued on foot ("sole") or on horse or mule ("horse-shoe").

As I waited for the friendly person to unlock and open the "hôpital", I had time to walk around and see the many graffiti, scratched in by pilgrims centuries ago. I had been here before, but there are so many.. On the walls of the neighbouring building, that once belonged to the "hôpital", are - ships!

The priory was established in 1058 by Benedictine monks of the powerful abbey in Fecamp (150 kms north east) with the of the local Baron of Creully. End of the 17th century, the priory was in decline and soon after the abbey church partly collapsed. Most of the conventual buildings got demolished, when the priory got sold after the French Revolution and converted into a farm. One of the still existing buildings is the former gatehouse. Here all the walls are covered with graffiti. Ships and boats can often be found carved into walls, especially (like here) near to the sea.

Saint Martin is probably as old as the nearby château (see previous upload), dating back to the 11th/12th century. Restoration was carried out in the late 19th century. The graffiti, carved into the walls of the nave, depicting sailing ships, luckily survived the restoration.

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. Over the centuries, many visitors left graffiti on the facade, early pilgrims and late vandals. Seen here are two sailing ships, so there may have been seamen too. And couples in love..