Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: crossbow

Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (now Lyon) was an important Roman city in Gaul. It was the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. The Christianization took place very early. In 177, the Christian community sent a letter naming 48 of their number who had been martyred. In 843 it was ceded to Lorraine and then passed to the Kingdom of Burgundy, whose dominion was entrusted to the Archbishop of Lyon by Frederick Barbarossa in 1157. In 1312 Philip the Fair incorporated Lyon into the kingdom of France. Lyon was the scene of an urban revolt in 1436 when Charles VII increased taxation. The uprising, mainly of small merchants, lasted a total of two months. During the reign of Louis XI. Four fairs were set up, attracting merchants from all over Europe, especially Italy. Lyon became an important center for the spice trade and, more importantly, the silk trade after François I granted the weaving rights, which until then had been an Italian monopoly. Florentine immigrants also made Lyon a financial center for banking and insurance. - It is often said that the most beautiful cities are located on rivers. Lyon is situated on two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, which meet in the south of the city. - The Lyon Cathedral was begun in 1180 on the ruins of a 6th-century church and completed in 1476. In 1245, the church hosted the First Council of Lyon, where the Pope declared Emperor Frederick II deposed. In 1274, the Second Council of Lyon was held in the cathedral, mainly to discuss the union of the Catholic Church with the Greek Orthodox. On August 17, 1316, John XXII was elected pope in the cathedral. He was the second of the Avignon popes. In 1562 the church was devastated by Calvinist Huguenots. In 1600 the cathedral was the scene of the marriage between King Henry IV and Mary de Medici. The facade from the 14th and 15th centuries is influenced by the flamboyant Gothic style. Episodes from the Old and New Testaments are told in 300 picture panels. Dragons are most often killed by the sword, sometimes with a bow, but a crossbow like here is rarely seen.

This church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, was a real surprise to me. The single nave structure was probably erected within the 12th century. It was built in a "walking distance" off the pilgrim routes (like "San Pedro de Echano"), as the hamlet Artaiz is just about 10kms north of the "Camino Aragonés". San Martin will have been for sure a stopover for pilgrims, who had visited the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours, following the "Via Turonensis". The portal of Saint Martin is extraordinary in the specific iconography, that in parts may reflect the relations to the Islamic neighbours (Reconquista). Here is a script by German arthistorian Hedda Finke about this subject. art.unt.edu/medieval-symposium/presenter.php?year=2009&am... Close to the very artful and complex capitals, just seen, next to the door, under the lintel is this bearded face. The face of the gatekeeper. It seems simple and kind of "abstract", but it is well composed. Nose and eyebrows form a crossbow.

The Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse, built from red bricks about 1080 - 1120, is the largest still existing Romanesque church in France. It once belonged to the abbey of St. Sernin, that had existed here already within the 5th century near the grave of St. Sernin (aka "Saint Saturnin"). The church, replaced a smaller, carolingian structure, and was erected to accommodate the many pilgrims, as Toulouse has always been a very important stop on the way to Santiago de Compostella. The "Via Tolosana", one of the many ancient pilgrim routes, was named after Toulouse. It is said, that pilgrims, who, for what reasons ever, could not make it to Santiago, tried at least to reach St. Sernin in Toulouse. This capital, seen from the nave, depicts two monkeys (?), bending the bow of a very large crossbow, with great effort. A kind of "cupido" stands in the center, holding the arrows.