Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: lion tamer

This church once belonged to a convent dependent on the abbey in Charroux (350kms east), later on the nearby abbey in Saint Jean d'Angely. It was erected within the 12th century, but tower, southern walls and parts of the nave got destroyed during the medieval wars. It got rebuilt and reconstructed different times. The state the building is in now, dates to the mid of the 19th century. Here is one of the sculpted capitals. Two men cuddling gentle lions.

In the center of Le Douhet, a village just 12 kms north east of Saintes, is Saint Martial, a 12th century structure, that had to be stabilized by buttresses within the 15th century, when a steeple was built. The western facade is richly decorated with friezes and archivolts over the portal and the flanking blind arches. Here is the frieze near the wooden door. On the right side is a lion tamer, the left person seems to play with a large snake.

A small community of Canons in Chauvigny was founded by the Seigneurs de Chauvigny around 1025. Bishop Isembert I of Poitiers (+ 1047) was a Seigneur de Chauvigny, as well as his sucessor. The erection of the Collegiate church started end of the 11th century. It took about a century to complete the structure. The church was in the center of the heavily fortified stronghold, that has a long history of sieges, lootings, captures and recaptures. The "Cité Médiéval" was in ruins end of the 18th century. Mid 19th century the restauration process started. Since then the interior of Saint-Pierre has this distinctive colour-scheme of white and red. The church is known for the capitals, that are in deed extraordinary. Here again is the lion-tamer - dancer - Master of Beasts, seen on the previous upoad. The lion, that flanks the quadruped person, is a kind of spinx or manticore, with a human face, wings - and a floral rear end.

A small community of Canons in Chauvigny was founded by the Seigneurs de Chauvigny around 1025. Bishop Isembert I of Poitiers (+ 1047) was a Seigneur de Chauvigny, as well as his sucessor. The erection of the Collegiate church started end of the 11th century. It took about a century to complete the structure. The church was in the center of the heavily fortified stronghold, that has a long history of sieges, lootings, captures and recaptures. The "Cité Médiéval" was in ruins end of the 18th century. Mid 19th century the restauration process started. Since then the interior of Saint-Pierre has this distinctive colour-scheme of white and red. The church is known for the capitals, that are in deed extraordinary. A lion-tamer? A dancer? A Master of Beasts? A mystery! Either there are two human bodies, sharing one head, or one person, who splits into two bodies. He holds/ They hold two small lions by their back feet, watched by two large lions. But - nothing is real for a split personality.