Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: not war

Saint-Genès, erected in the 11th and 12th century, was the church of the priory Saint-Etienne, dependent from the important Abbaye Notre-Dame in Déols. This abbey, now in ruins, had been founded in 917 and developed into one of the most powerful regional institutions. It was one of the first in the Cluniac network. Odo of Cluny (+ 942) was abbot of three monasteries: Cluny, Massy and Deols. This is important, as Saint-Genès has architectural parralells to Cluny II. The building got severely damaged, when Louis VII (aka "Louis le Jeune", 1. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine) burnt down the town in 1152 during a feud with Abbo II de Déols, a supporter of Henri Plantagenêt (aka Henry II, "Curtmantle", 2. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine). In 1569 the Huguenots set fire here - and many restorations followed that. During the French Revolution the bell tower was destroyed and the church became a "Temple of Reason". The walls of the nave are embellished with many sculpted capitals and corbels. Some of the corbels under the roof are very rough. An explicit work of art. A sexual act, created about 800 years, before the phrase "Make love, not war" was coined. Here is a couple - making love.

Saint-Pierre, parish church of Champagnolles (pop. 500), got erected on the floorplan of a Latin Cross in the second half of the 12th century. To enrich the floorplan, semicircular absidioles were added in the east. The builders did not invest much artistic creativity into the portal or the interior, as only some rough capitals can be found there. They obviously concentrated on the rich decoration of eastern walls of Saint-Pierre. All around the apses are dozends of carved mystic and fantastic corbels and capitals. Actually this church is known for "rude" carvings. Here is another explicit work of art. A sexual act, created about 800 years, before the hippies coined the phrase "Make love, not war".