Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Lamb of God

The area around the modern Altamura (pop 70.000) was inhabited in early times. There are Bronze Age tumuli and between the 6th and the 3rd century BC a massive line of megalithic walls was erected. This (later Roman) city was inhabited until the 10th century when it was reportedly looted by Saracens. A couple of centuries after Altamura was reportedly looted by the Saracens, it started to be inhabited again as Emperor Frederick II refounded the city (1232) and ordered the construction of the large Altamura Cathedral, which became one of the most venerated sanctuaries in Apulia. Altamura was ruled by various feudal families, including the Orsini del Balzo and the Farnese (1538–1734), the latter responsible for the construction of numerous palaces and churches. In the past, Altamura also had a large castle, whose construction dated back to the 11th-13th century, which has been completely demolished. Altamura Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) was founded by Emperor Frederick II in 1232. In 1248, under pressure from Frederick, Pope Innocent IV declared Altamura exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Bari, making it a "palatine church", that is the equivalent of a palace chapel. After heavy damage caused by an earthquake in 1316, it was renovated by Robert of Anjou. Major changes were made to the cathedral in 1534, including switching the front and back around! The cathedral's main facade originally faced west but it now faces east. The Gothic window of the apse, which had been in place since 1232, was moved to the left side to make room for the large rose window, that dominates the facade. The window is balanced on the shoulders of a tiny atlant.

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1755 after a long fight for independence from Genoa the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. So most of the old churches are in the mountains and some of them are hard to find. The small eye catching Romanesque church San Michele is easy to find, located on an isolated hill just outside Murato. It was erected from mid-12th century on and was consecrated in 1280. At that time Corsica was ruled by Pisa and so it was built in a bicolor typical Pisan style recognizable by the alternation of green (serpentine) and white (limestone) stones, very similar to the "Basilica di Saccargia" on the neighbouring island of Sardinia. The single nave church presents remarkable naive motifs on the walls that are amazing in their imagination and variety. The Lamb of God flanked by two evil dogs, wolves, lions... creatures.

The small single-nave parish church of Le Heaulme (pop. 200) was erected within the 12th century, but got modified later. It got enlarged by the square apse, seen to the left. Here are details of that bricked up Romanesque side portal (previous upload). Depicted in the center of the tympanum is Saint George on horseback on his way, to kill the dragon. To the right are a Lamb of God and a bird further to the left in the sky a person holding a cross. These group is interpreted as the "Trinity". On the left side are two persons. One of them, standing on an object (?) holds a crozier.

Alleaume was once the gallo-roman settlement "Alauna", of which some ruins still exist. Meanwhile this is a suburb of Valognes. The parish church Notre Dame was erected within the 13th century but strongly remodeled in the 18th century. Some spolia of the Romanesque church got reused - and so can still be find. This relief is one of the old spolia. There is an "Agnus Dei" with a cross on the right side. On the left side are two persons, sitting under arches - and there is a bird. This bird holds a branch. Or the branch is a "sing-bubble" (aka "tweet"). The left person is barefoot and holds a large key, so this can only be Saint Peter. His neigbour is probably an apostle as well.

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the center of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessing church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously to small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". A "cross section" of the archivolts over the central door. The innermost archivolt shows the Lamb of God, flanked by angels, then there is a combat of virtues and vices ( CASTITAS SVPERBIA HVMILITAS LARGITAS AVARICIA FIDES IDOLATRIA), the Wise and the Foolish Virgins and on the outermost archivolt the signs of the Zodiac and the Seasonal Labors (ARIES (GE)MINI JUNIUS (VIR)GO AUGUSTUS LIBRA).

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the center of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessing church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously to small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". The central arch over the door of the western facade. There is no tympanum, but four large archivolts, divided by plant patterns under a row of corbels. The innermost archivolt shows the Lamb of God, flanked by angels, then there is a combat of virtues and vices, the Wise and the Foolish Virgins and on the outermost archivolt the signs of the Zodiac and the Seasonal Labors.