Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: 55

Saint-Vincent is located in the centre of Sommelonne, a village with a population of about 500. The church is in wide parts Romanesque, - but was locked. So I had time, to look at all the carved graffiti people had carved into the church´s walls over the last centuries. VIVE NAPOLEON

Saint-Vincent is located in the centre of Sommelonne, a village with a population of about 500. The church is in wide parts Romanesque, - but was locked. So I had time, to look at all the carved graffiti people had carved into the church´s walls over the last centuries.

Saint-Vincent is located in the centre of Sommelonne, a village with a population of about 500. The church is in wide parts Romanesque, - but was locked.

The Pizzeria "Le Portofino", based in Bar le Duc, runs this vending machine in the village of Saudrupt. It was not the time for pizza, when I passed by, so I did not try.

Saint-Didier was built in the 16th century in a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance style. It burned down during the Great War after set on fire by German soldiers. Repair and rebuilding started in 1919. This "Mise au tombeau" has actually six statues, as it is flanked by two very baroque wooden angels. It was located in a chapel of the Château de Clermont At least the lady in the centre is attributed to Ligier Richier while the other two may have been created by another studio. The statue of Christ was probably carved prior 16th century.

Saint-Didier was built in the 16th century in a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance style. It burned down during the Great War after set on fire by German soldiers. Repair and rebuilding started in 1919.

The colours of spring, seen in the shop windows of a "Salon de Coiffure" in Saint-Mihiel.

Saint-Mihiel had a parish church already in the 10th century. The Romanesque structure got renovated and rebuilt in the 13th and enlarged in the 16th century. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a hospital, but got re-consecrated in 1802. Soon plans were made, to broaden the road passing the church, so in 1823 the old belltower, one aisle and the side chapel were demolished. Renaissance sculptor Ligier Richier, a genius of his time, was born in Saint-Mihiel around 1500. One of his major works is the "Mise au Tombeau". The grid, that saves it frim nosy tourists, - and the blue light make it difficult to take a decent photo. It is a fantastic sculpture. Ligier Richier, who had unsuccessfully petitioned the Duke of Lorraine to allow him to practice in the reformed Protestant religion, completed this "entombment", before he left Lorraine and moved to Geneva, where he was free to follow this religion.

Saint-Mihiel had a parish church already in the 10th century. The Romanesque structure got renovated and rebuilt in the 13th and enlarged in the 16th century. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a hospital, but got re-consecrated in 1802. Soon plans were made, to broaden the road passing the church, so in 1823 the old belltower, one aisle and the side chapel were demolished. Renaissance sculptor Ligier Richier, a genius of his time, was born in Saint-Mihiel around 1500. One of his major works is the "Mise au Tombeau". The iron grid, that saves it from nosy tourists, - and the blue light make it difficult to take a decent photo. It is a fantastic sculpture. Ligier Richier, who had unsuccessfully petitioned the Duke of Lorraine to allow him to practice in the reformed Protestant religion, completed this "entombment", before he left Lorraine and moved to Geneva, where he was free to follow this religion.

Saint-Mihiel had a parish church already in the 10th century. The Romanesque structure got renovated and rebuilt in the 13th and enlarged in the 16th century. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a hospital, but got re-consecrated in 1802. Soon plans were made, to broaden the road passing the church, so in 1823 the old belltower, one aisle and the side chapel were demolished. Renaissance sculptor Ligier Richier, a genius of his time, was born in Saint-Mihiel around 1500. One of his major works, the "Mise au Tombeau" (Christ being placed in the tomb) is here, seen behind the metal grid. Ligier Richier, who had unsuccessfully petitioned the Duke of Lorraine to allow him to practice in the reformed Protestant religion, completed this "entombment", before he left Lorraine and moved to Geneva, where he was free to follow this religion.

Saint-Mihiel developed around a convent founded by Count Wulfoalde and his wife Adalsinde around 708. This settlement had a parish church already in the 10th century. The Romanesque structure got renovated and rebuilt in the 13th and enlarged in the 16th century. During the French Revolution, the church was used as a hospital, but got re-consecrated in 1802. Soon plans were made, to broaden the road passing the church. So in 1823 the old belltower, one aisle and the side chapel were demolished and the facade was rebuilt. Renaissance sculptor Ligier Richier was born in Saint-Mihiel around 1500. One of his major works is inside Saint-Étienne.

Saint-Mihiel developed around a convent founded by Count Wulfoalde and his wife Adalsinde around 708. Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel (author of the "Via Regia"), who had best contacts to Charlemagne, for whom he did diplomatic voyages, was abbot here from 814 on. Later the abbey attracted lots of pilgrims, as since 779 the relics of Saint Anatole, Bishop of Cahors, were kept here. The Abbey existed upto the French Revolution, when it was dissolved. Some decades earlier (1734) the tombs of the founders Wulfoalde and Adalsinde had been discovered in the abbey. Over centuries the abbey was known for its library of about 9000 books. The books and manuscripts are still here. In WWI the frontline run right through here (Verdun is only about 40kms north). In 1914 Saint-Mihiel was captured by the Germans and was finally re-captured in 1918. The library had suffered as well and the most famous 9th-century manuscript on the Holy Trinity by Pseudo-Athanasius, was obviously stolen. It was discovered in a Hamburg bookshop in 2007 and reintegrated into the collection. The abbey church seen today is from the end of the 17th/ early 18th century.

...after two days of pouring rain, the tracks got muddy...

....the building looked quite old. Maybe young Jeanne d’Arc passed it, walking three times from Domrémy-la-Pucelle to Vaucouleurs in 1429, to beg the town major for a horse there. In the end she got one and rode to Chinon to meet the Dauphin...

......from Toul to Vaucouleurs, where I had booked a room....