Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: sculpture

During Roman times the settlement was known as Astigi. Caesar ordered the town's fortification and refounded it as a Julian colony. According to Pliny the Elder who wrote in the 1st century AD, it was the rival of Cordova and Seville. After the Romans, it was ruled by successively by Suevs and Visigoths. It was also from an early date the seat of a diocese. St. Fulgentius (died before 633), was named to the see by his brother Isidore of Seville. In 711, Écija was conquered by an Islamic army on its way to Córdoba. Capital of an extensive Kūra, Écija preserved its condition as a centre of high agricultural productivity. The place was seized by Christians in 1240. The proximity to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada turned Écija into a border town. Most of the mudéjar population was expelled in 1263. The Jewish population suffered the antisemitic revolt initiated after the assault on the jewry of Seville in June 1391, that spread across Andalusia. During the 15th century, Écija was the third most important urban centre of the Kingdom of Seville after Seville and Jerez. Estimations for the 15th century yield a population of about 18,000 (today 40.000). The effects of the 1755 earthquake (Lisbon) forced a deep urban renewal. Although Astigi was one of the most completely discovered Roman cities, the city council decided against all odds in 1998 to bulldoze the Roman ruins, including a forum, a bathhouse, a gymnasium and a temple, as well as dozens of private houses, and replace them with a car park. But at least, there is the museum housed in the "Palacio de Benamejí" The "Wounded Amazon from Écija" Ca. 135-138 AD A roman replica of a Wounded Amazon attributed to the Greek Sculptor Polykleitos (5th c BC). It was found in 2002 and is in an exceptional state of preservation.

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The church is known for the carvings. Though some of these got damaged during the French Revolution, most of them are still in place. Size and the quality of some of them is really breathtaking. Near the base of the crossing tower, on a steep triangel between the red roofs - sits a man The sculpture is about lifesize, perfectly carved. A masterpiece! A man, sitting on the roof in a very relaxed pose. Frozen in a move. In some seconds, he would sit cross-legged. The man has a very individual, vivid face. A wart is over his upper lip. Sometimes this sculpture is described as "Jew holding a money purse", but then the person would wear the specific hat. Others write about a "beggar", but he is very well clothed and carefully shaven. The object in his hand could be a purse, but as well a cup. Maybe he is just somebody enjoying the local white wine. His eyes are wide open. He is focussing on something far behind the horizon - since about 800 years! He has an older "collegue" on the other side of the crossing, - have a look: www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5386151210/

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The church is known for the carvings. Though some of these got damaged during the French Revolution, most of them are still in place. Size and the quality of some of them is really breathtaking. Actually, there are two sculptures of men, sitting on a steep triangel between the red roofs. This one sits opposite to the other, seen before. The sculpture is about lifesize, perfectly carved, probably both were carved by the same master. A masterpiece! A man, older than his "collegue", sitting on the roof in a relaxed pose. Barefoot, dressed in a kind of long shirt. He looks haggard, ascetic and has a large head. His eyes are shut. He holds his long beard. He seems to be contemplating about - life and death? Or is he waiting for something to happen? Moss has grown on his 800 year old forehead. He stands in full contrast to the younger, well dressed, wine-drinking (?) man on the other side of the crossing tower. Maybe they are just symbols and stand for "young" and "old". A kind of "memento mori". Here is his younger "collegue". www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5386151210/

The construction of the church Saint-Léger (= Leodegar, Ludger) in Guebwiller started in 1182 and took about 100 years. The church was built from local red sandstone in a style between late romanesque and early gothic. The most interesting point I found is, that the architects of this church obviously spent a lot of time in Rosheim, about 70kms north. They studied the church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, that is only about 30 years older. The triangel on the roof between nave and transept gives room for a remarkable large sculpture in Rosheim. This idea was copied here, as it even seems to be the same old man, holding his long beard. A medieval "copy and paste". Actually the copy is a bit clumsy, compared to the original. Here is the original www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5387259540/

Many churches, chapels and abbeys all over continental Europe claim to be founded by Charlemagne. Saint John Abbey in the village of Müstair (= monasterium) is - most likely - founded in deed by Charlemagne or a bishop under Charles´ order around 774. At that time Charlemagne fought war against the Langobards in Northern Italy and needed save and secure passes over the Alps for his army. Fortified monasteries played an important role in this strategy. Dendrochronological surveys found out, that some of the beams used for the construction cut around 775, what is, when Charlemagne´s soldiers conquered the Lombardy. The "Benediktinerinnenkloster St. Johann", today still a Benedictine nunnery, is since 1983 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most spectacular is the interior of the convent´s church, that meanwhile serves the parish. It was constructed in Carolingian times, but remodelled later, when it got a late Gothic vaulted ceiling. Around 1200 all the walls of the church and the apses were covered with Romanesque frescoes. 300 years later, they seemed "old fashioned" - and the walls got whitened. End of the 19th century art historians discovered not only the fresco paintings from 1200, there were wall paintings even from the Carolingian times, dating back to 800. - The statue of Charlemagne in the abbey church is the oldest monumental, "life size" sculpture of Emperor Charles. He is crowned, holds the globus cruciger (= "cross-bearing orb") and the sceptre, that looks a bit like a fleur-de-lis. Maybe this photo can be used for a biometric facial recognition.

Many churches, chapels and abbeys all over continental Europe claim to be founded by Charlemagne. Saint John Abbey in the village of Müstair (= monasterium) is - most likely - founded in deed by Charlemagne or a bishop under Charles´ order around 774. At that time Charlemagne fought war against the Langobards in Northern Italy and needed save and secure passes over the Alps for his army. Fortified monasteries played an important role in this strategy. Dendrochronological surveys found out, that some of the beams used for the construction cut around 775, what is, when Charlemagne´s soldiers conquered the Lombardy. The "Benediktinerinnenkloster St. Johann", today still a Benedictine nunnery, is since 1983 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most spectacular is the interior of the convent´s church, that meanwhile serves the parish. It was constructed in Carolingian times, but remodelled later, when it got a late Gothic vaulted ceiling. Around 1200 all the walls of the church and the apses were covered with Romanesque frescoes. 300 years later, they seemed "old fashioned" - and the walls got whitened. End of the 19th century art historians discovered not only the fresco paintings from 1200, there were wall paintings even from the Carolingian times, dating back to 800. - This statue of Charlemagne in the abbey church is the oldest monumental, "life size" sculpture of Emperor Charles. He is crowned, holds the globus cruciger (= "cross-bearing orb") and the sceptre, that looks a bit like a fleur-de-lis.

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The church is known for the carvings. Though some of these got damaged during the French Revolution, most of them are still in place. Size and the quality of some of them is really breathtaking. At least four different, very experienced stonemasons or carvers have worked here. One of these masters carved this smooth mermaid under the roof tiles. The mermaid is one of the many smaller carvings that dot the outer walls of the church.