Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: contortionist

There are no exact construction dates or documents, but it can be assumed that it was built in the second half of the 12th century. The unusually richly decorated façade makes an initial use as a parish church rather unlikely. The building apparently survived the turmoil of the Hundred Years' War and the Huguenot Wars unscathed. The richly designed yet clearly structured gable-free display wall of the west façade stands out. Its elevation is almost square and divided into two levels: The lower zone is divided into three parts - in the centre is an archivolt portal that occupies the entire height. The stones, that were used for carvings all over the Saintongue. were easy to work with because they were very soft. Unfortunately they weather fast. A musical contortionist

Today Frómista has a population of less than 1000. In previous centuries, Frómista had a significant population that lived from growing wheat. A church and a Benedictine monastery on this site were first mentioned in the will of Queen Munia Mayor, widow of King Sancho III of Navarre, in 1066. The queen made the monastery and church partial heirs to her fortune. This fortune made possible the construction of a magnificent church, which was built in the last third of the 11th century in a construction period of 15 to 20 years, continuously and without interruption. Close links exist with the Cathedral of Jaca and the Basilica of San Isidoro, the craftsmen appear to have been partly the same. In 1118, Queen Urraca, a great-granddaughter of Queen Munia, placed the church, monastery and associated settlement, San Martín, under the authority of the monastery of San Zoilo. San Martín thus became the priory of this monastery. Throughout the following Middle Ages, there were constant disputes between the town of Frómista and the monastery of San Zoilo over rights in and to the village of San Martín, which even led to military conflicts. It was not until 1488 that the dispute was settled. In 1453, a Host miracle occurred in San Martín. The paten used and the host was venerated in the church until the 19th century. From 1896 to 1904, the church was extensively restored. The restoration, which aimed to recreate a "perfect" Romanesque church, is highly controversial today. A very strange corbel. First I saw a contortionist after she had given birth to a child. However, the child is already very tall, is clothed and perhaps even has a halo.

Today Saint-Jean-de-Côle, a member of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" ("most beautiful villages of France"), has a population of only about 300. A priory was founded here (on Norman foundations) and the construction of the church started in 1086. The church, completed in the 12th century, has a very unusual plan (sometimes called "Byzantine"). There is a semicircular apse and a rectangular nave, that once was crowned by a dome. This dome was destroyed during the Hundred Years War and got rebuilt and collapsed twice later. It does not exist any longer. All around the chapels are more than 80 sculpted corbels. A very flexible exhibitionist!

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 nice side portal. Here is a row of corbels. Fltr - a flute player - a hare (between them is a dolio) - a beard-puller ande a contortionist.

The church, dedicated to Saint-Caprais (aka "Caprais d'Agen"), Bishop of Agen, martyred in the 4th century, is located at the confluence of the rivers Nea and Dordogne. The original design (nave and transepts) dates to the 12th century. During the 15th century two aisles were added to the (once) single nave church. Three chapels were added later. Renovations started in the late 19th century and continued through the first half of the 20th. Nice corbels under the roof of the 12th-century-apse. Here is a contortionist, who of course is very flexible. He may be nude, but I´m not sure.

What is the parish church of the tiny village of Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix today, was the church of a priory, depending from Mozat around 1165. In the beginning the priory was named "Saint-Hilaire-lac-rouge", but over the time, the old name got a little "deformed". There is not much known about the priory. In the early years it served the pilgrims on their way - and somehow it was important enough, to built (and finance) such an extraordenary church. Bernard Craplet ("Auvergne romane") dates the building phase from around 1100 to 1200. Later Augustinian Canons and Vincentians lived here. Not a sucess story for the next centuries the buildings were sold already in 1742. This is the most expressive of the capitals around the crossing in Saint-Hilaire-la-Croix. At least for me. I described most details already, when I uploaded the other photo taken from a more central pov, so now I just point out two details. Above the elbow of the dancer is a kind of tassel, actually an ornament often seen in medieval carvings, but mostly this ornament is static and symmetric. Here it is assymetric. It really seems to be a swinging textile tassel, just being moved by the elbow. In case the male musician and the female contortionist, performing here, are professionals, they for sure needed a manager, who organised the gigs - and passed the hat around. See the manager in the corner to the very right.

"Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul" is not mentioned in any written document before the 13th century. Most historians agree, that the church was built not earlier than in the first half of the 12th century. About a century later, the Romanesque transept and choir got demolished - and replaced by the large Gothic structure, seen here. The tower was erected within the 13th century. The church was added to the list of "monuments historique" already in 1862, but the restoration process started end of the 19th century. The church was added to the list of "monuments historique" already in 1862, but the restoration process started end of the 19th century. Of course a church like this needs perpetual care. The walls of the nave are well conserved. They are decorated between the corbels with very unusual reliefs. These carvings were well protected under the roof and are not weathered. Some of them are fantastic and very mysterious. The corbels depicts a fork-beard and an insulting contortionist or flexible exhibitionist. The relief depicts an evil, frightening devil, holding a horned goat´s head to hide his genitals. (??)

Saint-Pardoux was erected in the second half of the 12th century as a church for a priory, dependent from the Benedictine Abbey Saint-Étienne in Baignes. The single-nave church got enlarged later and restored/rebuilt in the 19th century. It is claimed, that the facade is inspired by the construction of the cathedral of Angouleme. I do not see a strong influence. The blueprint of the facade is the "triumph arch". hundreds of churches in the Saintongue have a similar portal. The carvings of the facade are very elaborate and come from a very skilled workshop. Here is a corbel of the facade. A nude, male contortionist, without arms. Maybe the arms got lost like a part of the genitals. The head is strange. This may well be a bull´s head. I can see one horn.

The parish church Saint-André, here seen from the old graveyard, is placed on a little hill in the center of the village (pop. 300) - since more than 800 years. The church got renovated, when the late Gothic style was in full swing, what has left some marks. The apse is unchanged and many wonderful corbels are under the roof. Most of them are in perfect condition. Here is a well dressed, but melancholic contortionist.

Caen was a settlement already in Roman times, but prospered, when William the Conqueror (aka "William the Bastard") built a castle here. When William married Matilda of Flanders (~ 1051) a papal ban was issued at the Council of Reims on the grounds of consanguinity. In 1059 Pope Nicholas awarded dispensation, after William and Matilda agreed to found two monasteries as penance. William founded the Abbey of Saint-Etienne (aka "Abbaye aux Hommes"), Matilda founded with here husband´s support the Abbey Sainte-Trinité (aka "Abbaye aux Dames"). The erection of both abbeys started in Caen around 1060. The community of nuns was suppressed by the French Revolution. In 1823 the local authorities transferred the ancient Hôtel-Dieu to the former cloister for use as a hospital, and the canonesses regular established themselves there. The canonesses continued to operate until 1908 when the facility was transferred into a nursing home. The former abbey church Sainte-Trinité now serves the parish. Long rows of corbels line the sidewall of the basilica-style church.

Early morning in Solignac, where a convent had been founded mid 7th century by Saint Eloi ("Saint Eligius"), who was a kind of senior adviser for the Merovingian kings Clotaire II and his son Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingian kings. The monastery thrived and soon more than 100 monks lived here. But during the 8th century it suffered from Saracen raids, followed by the Normans, who arrived here and looted the monastery a century later. When more and more pilgrims walked along the Via Lemovicensis, they all passed through here - and so the convent´s wealth and importance grew. Even a (still existing) bridge over the near river Briance got constructed during that time. The monks started the erection of the abbey-church, seen here, in the first decade of the 12th century. The structure was completed already about a century later. During the Hundred Years´ War the buildings of the abbey got partly destroyed, Calvinistic iconoclasts were here several times during the Wars of Religions. All formerly monastery buildings next to this church date back to the 18th century and now serve as a retirement home, only the impressive church survived the times and by now is well preserved. The nave is covered by a row of four cupolas on pendentives. There are not many of Romanesque churches with such wonderful domes. I do remember Soulliac, Cahors, Saintes, Perigueux.. The medieval architects had their inspiration from San Marco in Venice, completed around 1100. To plan and built such a church here was really ambitous. Choir, transepts and nave of Saint-Pierre have many corbels and capitals. At least two different studios of carvers have worked here. One workshop created the pretty complex capitals around the apse. Some contortionists try to equilibrate on one of them.

When the church, dedicated to Saint Amans de Rodez, got erected within the 12th century, it was dependent from the abbey Saint-Martin in Tulle (20kms north). It is known, that Humbaud, bishop of Limoges, consecrated a church here in 1094, but at that time the structure cannot have been completed The portal of Saint-Chamant is extraordenary (for a village church). While the tympanum over the doors is undamaged, all capitals are damaged. After the French Revolution some small vandals used their hammers. The contortionist got decapitated.

"Santa María la Real" is one of the highlights for all people following the "Camino Aragonés" - since about 800 years. The facade is impressing it may take hours, to find out the many details. I stayed an extra day, when I had reached the town, just to see the shadows movig over the carvings. A church did exist here already in 1131 next to the bridge crossing the river Aragon. It was transferred by Alfonso I to the "Knights Hospitaller" (aka "Order of Saint John", later "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta"). The apse is the oldest part of the structure and probably dates back to that time. The nave and the breathtaking Southern Portal of Santa María la Real were created late 12th/13th century. I have uploaded a "total overview" earlier and will now focus on some details. The archivolts around the large tympanum, depicting the "Last Judgement" are densely populated with dancers, workers, priests and mythical creatures. Here is a flautist on the right and a very flexible contortionist on the left side. The guy has an exceptional ponytail.

San Pedro de Echano (aka "Ermita de San Pedro de Echano") is not easy to find, as the church is a few kilometers east of Oloriz in the middle of fields and bushland. In medieval times, when the church got erected, there might have been a village or settlement nearby, but nowadays there are no houses near to the church. This church was a big surprise and I was lucky, to find the door open. A wedding was scheduled for that afternoon and so the interior of the church got cleaned and decorated. Under the roof of San Pedro de Echano are more than 30 carved corbels. A group of musicians has gathered under the roof accompanied by this slim and very gifted contortionist Like musicians. Contortionists were as well part of the medieval entertainment business.

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. A musician, playing the vielle and - two dancers/contortionists. As the dancers have different sizes, there is obviously one in the foreground and one in the background.

There had been a small community of monks here, that end of the 11th century joined the important Benedictian Abbaye royale of Saint-Jean-d'Angély (20kms northwest), that was part of the cluniac network. The Abbaye royale got wealthy through the thousands of pilgrims on the Via Turonensis. They all stopped to see the relic of John the Baptist, before they continued, and obviously left some coins. The abbey could afford to build a prestigious abbey church for the monastic comunity in Marestay (now Matha) at the same time, when Saint-Hérie (see previous uploads), just 2kms apart from here, was erected. Probably the same monks, lay brothers and workers toiled on two construction sides in long double shifts. During the Wars of Religion many curches within the whole area got ruined and mutilated. In Saint-Herie, 2kms south, only two walls of the Romanesque church are still in place. Here the complete nave is missing. After the "Edict of Nantes" got revoked in 1685, all Huguenots living in Matha were evicted and exiled. Following that all protestant churches existing in the town got leveled to the ground. The only parts of Saint-Pierre that survived the incredible fury are the apse, the transepts and the crossing. Many capitals and corbels are still in place and can be found outside. A long haired contortionist, using very strong and sticky styling gel, or as Isaac Newton was not born yet. maybe the hair had no idea of the law of universal gravitation. Actually the hairdo of the artist reminds me on Albert Einstein.

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the center of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessing church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously to small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". Not only the exterior of Saint-Pierre is decorated with many wonderful works of art, the carved capitals of the nave, are extraordenary as well. A very symmetrical capital with two contortionists. They must have unbelievable long necks. To the right are very abstract birds. Some of the capitals in Aulnay are so pristine, that they may have been "renovated" during the 19th century. Paul Abadie, later known as the architect of "Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre" and strongly influenced by Viollet-le-Duc, worked here.

A "villa Tauriaca" was given to the Bishop of Le Mans already in 585 by some Alderic. At that time probably a chapel existed here. The portal seen today dates to the 12th. century - and it is unusual, as it does have tympana in the flanking arches. Modifications were made, when the church got fortified in the 16th century, but meanwhile the portal is pretty much back to the original state. Most capitals and corbels of the church are undamaged, like this contortionist under the roof, demonstrating his flexibility.