Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: dromedary

In the background the medieval bridge, crossing the river Sorgue in Saint-Affrique. On the left the massive neogothic church, constructed in the end of the 19th century, on a place, where a church has been since the early time, over the tomb of Saint Affrique. Nearly nothing is known about him. The very large camel, standing right in the river, surprised me. The camel was real. It moved from time to time and drank water from the river. I tried pretty hard, but I found no connection between this wonderful animal, known from the north-african deserts - and Saint-Affrique. Later that evening I met the owner of the camel. It actually belonged to a small circus.

Located on a hill, Beaumont-du-Périgord was an English bastide, founded in 1272 by Lucas de Thaney in the name of King Edward I, who granted a charter to the town in 1286. In 1289 he authorized the building of a market hall. A city wall was built in 1320. The town was taken in 1442 by Pierre de Beaufort and Louis XI confirmed in 1461 the charter to the inhabitants. Besieged three times by the Huguenots in 1561, 1575 and 1576, the city was finally taken in February 1576, by the Protestants. After the peace treaty, the city returned to the Catholics but it was again besieged by the Huguenots in 1585. The construction of the fortified church Saint-Laurent-et-Saint-Front began around 1330. The nave is about 52 metres long and 13.50 metres wide. It even had a well inside to supply the population, that took shelter here, with water. It survived the many wars of the centuries quite undamaged but in 1810 a part of the vault collapsed. In 1869 the walls got restored so that a brick arch vault could be installed. Still very much intact is the facade´s frieze, dated 1330/40. The exotic dromedary (aka "Arabian camel") was known in Europe since the crusades.

Saint-Étienne is the parish church of Macqueville, a village of a population of about 300. The western front looks very unspectacular, compared to most Romanesque churches of the Saintonge, but there are many corbels along the nave and a very elaborate side portal. The dromedary runs up the archivolt. Many veterans of the crusades will have known dromedaries and camels.

The collegiate church, dedicated to Saint Ursus of Aosta, existed here already in Carolingian times. Ursus, who may have been Irish, was a missionary, who supported the Bishop of Aosta. When an Arian became bishop of Aosta, Ursus and other canons left the cathedral and settled outside the walls of Aosta at the present site of the collegiate church of Saint Ursus. A Romanesque church was built around 1000, but this church got rebuilt, altered and enlarged many times over the centuries. The beautiful cloister, next to the basilica, was erected mid 12th century. It got restored end of teh 15th century, but 37 of the 42 original capitals are still "in situ". The now darkgrey capitals were white, when they were carved. Goats, sheep and dromedaries..

The collegiate church, dedicated to Saint Ursus of Aosta, existed here already in Carolingian times. Ursus, who may have been Irish, was a missionary, who supported the Bishop of Aosta. When an Arian became bishop of Aosta, Ursus and other canons left the cathedral and settled outside the walls of Aosta at the present site of the collegiate church of Saint Ursus. A Romanesque church was built around 1000, but this church got rebuilt, altered and enlarged many times over the centuries. The stalls, behind the three arches of the choir screen, were carved masterly in 1486. A monkey and a dromedary.

Trogir was founded by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC. In Roman times this was an important harbour town. From the 9th century on Trogir was under Croatian rule and later part of the Byzantine empire. A diocese was established in the 11th century, in 1107 the Hungarian-Croatian King Coloman ("The Bookish", "Kálmán Könyves") granted the autonomy. Saracen troops conquered Trogir in 1123 and demolished most of it. From 1420 upto 1797 Trogir belonged to the Republic of Venice. For a short while it belonged to the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but upto 1918 Trogir was part of the Habsburg Empire. Trogir is more than 2000 years old. It grew under the influence of the ancient Greeks, the Romans, and the Venetians... Trogir's medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises (about 10) churches, houses and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Since 1997 the centre of Trogir is a "UNESCO World Heritage Site". The Cathedral of St. Lawrence was erected from 1213 on the foundations of cathedral destroyed by the Saracens in 1123. Most of the work was done in the 13th century. This cathedral is world wide known for Master Radovan´s portal. The portal was carved by the local architect and sculptor Master Radovan (and his workshop). It was completed and signed by Radovan in 1240. Here are the two sides of the portal. The door posts are decorated with reliefs and two carved columns with scenes of hunting and beasts. The sides of the columns, that flank the doors, are decorated with scenes of people and animals entangled by tendrils. There are hunting scenes but as well strange, exotic and mythical creatures. A goat, a dromedary - and an elephant!

Sens was an important place in medieval times. Upto the 11th century the Archbishop of Sens hold the title "Primate of the Gauls and Germania". Thomas Becket lived in Sens for some time, when he was forced to leave England. Here Thomas met Pope Pope Alexander III. In 1141 Bishop Henri Sanglier here caused the condemnation of Peter Abelard. Bishop Henri Sanglier was well connected to the leading political figures. He and Abbot Suger de Saint-Denis were close friends - and had similar architectural ideas. Abbot Suger decided around 1137 to rebuild the Church of Saint-Denis. Bishop Henri started the construction of this cathedral around 1140. It is still discussed, which church is older, as this would be the oldest early Gothic church in France. While in Saint Denis (130kms northwest) the building process came to an halt for some time, the choir of the cathedral in Sens was completed already in 1168. It is sure, as Suger´s church in Saint Denis was an abbey church, the "Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Sens" is the oldest Gothic cathedral in France. Of course, there were many alterations done later. After the southern tower of the western facade collapsed in 1267 it got rebuilt within the next decades. By then the early Gothic style had developed, so parts of the facade got remodeled end of the 13th century. The main portal of the facade, maybe a little younger than the western one but in the main parts created before the southern tower collapsed. I found the two sides most interesting, though they are pretty weathered. The upper tier has "arts" - dialectic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry etc. The lower tier has "nature" including some strange, exotic animals. Here is a dromedary (aka "Arabian camel").

On the ruins of a older basilica begann, just next to the Baptistère Saint-Jean the construction of large Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in 1162. The building, the new the seat of the Archbishop of Poitiers, was greatly funded by Henry II of England (aka "Henri II Plantagenêt") and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The construction started as usual in the east and was completed with the western facade end of the 13th century. The cathedral is best known for the wonderful stained glass windows. The three windows around the choir date back to the 12th century and may be the oldest in France. The windows of the eastern part of the nave may be some decades younger. so they will be created in the early 13th century. I will upload some details of them. I am not sure about this. In case on the left is Mary in childbed, then below her is Jesus having his "First Bath". Supported by a midwife. In case to the right is a camel/dromedary, then the three men may be the Magi. But where is the Star of Bethlehem?

I had been in Jaca a couple of times before, but I just had to return in 2014. This was not only for the Romanesque cathedral, but as well for the "Meson Serrablo" a very agreeable restaurant. mesonserrablo.com/ -- The Jaca Cathedral is one of the oldest of the Iberian peninsula, dating back to the 1070s. The building, that was altered many times later, was commissioned by King Sancho Ramírez, who established an episcopal seat in Jaca, then the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon. -- For a while I saw a fettered monkey on the right corbel, but it may be another animal. Between this corbel and the middle one (lion) is a dromedary. -- You´ll find many more photos taken in Jaca in the album "Aragon".

The Catedral de Santa Maria in Tudela was erected late 12th century on the place, where the Great Mosque of Tudela (9th c.) had stood before. The cathedral is really large (65m x 52m) but unfortunately was closed, so I could not see the well known cloister. I was very impressed by the late-Romanesque "Puerta del Juicio". The slightly pointed portal, created wirthin the 13th century, has eight archivolts and 122 different icons. This is one of 16 (!) capitals of the "Puerta del Juicio", it is pretty damaged, but I was surprised by the dromedary (aka "Arabian camel"). This scene may depict Noah's Ark, but I am not sure. To the right, God is talking to Noah. Under the arch to the left are four persons (Noah´s family?) and below the small ark with a lion (?). The dromedary seems ready to embark.

Notre-Dame de Surgères was erected in the center of a large castle in the 12th century. The fortification, founded in the 9th century as a motte, when the area was raided by the Vikings, then guarded the border of the historical province of Aunis once. When the church was built a small town had developed around the defence already. Later a small priory and a "hopital" existed, as this was a halt on the Via Turonensis. The pilgrims had a lot to gape here, the facade is stunning 23 meters wide. Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1152, so the area changed hands and was ruled by the House of Plantagenet. During the Hundred Years' War Surgères experienced a long period of decline. Louis XI´s troops conquered the town in 1472 and the fortifications got destructed. During that time Notre Dame lost the tower and large parts of the nave, but not the facade! Six blind arches once flanked the door, five arches above them on "the second floor". There are more than 100 capitals and corbels all over the facade. This seems to be a medieval encyclopedia. There are even exotic animals. I found not only elephants (previous uploads), but as well this dromedary. The carving is pretty exact, the artist may have seen (and sketched) one during the first crusades. The dromedary is flanked by three humans (left) and two two apes or monkeys posing like contortionists. Above all "dwarfs" fiddling with a long vine.

The monastery St. Gilles, founded within the 7th century. A hermit lived here - with a hind. After Visigothic King Wamba had injured this hind during a hunt, he founded a monastry. St. Gilles was the first abbot there. St. Gilles was one of the most popular saints in medieval times, pilgrims flocked to his tomb in the crypt - and continued to Santiago from here. St. Gilles today is still one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. During the Wars of Religion the abbey and the church were totally destroyed and burnt down, what was in 1562. 1622 the campanile got demolished. After that only the crypt, part of the clocher, some eastern walls of the choir existed. The portal, which reminds on roman Triumph-arches, got demolished after the french revolution, - but puzzled together again within the 19th century, with material found all around. The precise knowledge about many details was lost, so in some parts it still is an unfinshed puzzle. For sure some parts are still missing - and this is visible. Probably different masters have worked here, as there are different styles in carving on this portal. Here some pretty exotic animals. A skinny dromedary to the right and two monkeys in chains on the left. The carver had a very creative idea: one leg of the monkey in the middle reaches over the frame. Behind them (this is a "3D-puzzle") a bust sculpture of a saint. Maybe this is only the top part of a "full" figure - and the second part is lost. It is placed so far in the background, that I do not believe, that this is the original place. Though there are letters on the nimbus, I could not find out the name of the saint.