Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: ox

There are two theories around the founding of this church. One connects it to the Lords of Montauroux, who owned the area, the other connects it to the influence of Norman or Breton monks, claiming the 12th/13th century church was built by monks from Brittany. This would explain, why the near chapel (see prev. uploads) was dedicated to (Breton) Saint Méen. In 1923, when restoration work carried out in the south side chapel, fresco paintings were found. Under the roof are some nice corbels. Here a goat and an ox peek down to the visitor standing in the sun.

La Chaise-Dieu was founded in 1043 by Robert de Turlande. It was named "Casa Dei", from which La Chaise-Dieu developed. From the 11th to the 13th century, the abbey experienced rapid and significant development. When the founder died in 1067, already 300 monks lived here. In the Auvergne La Chaise-Dieu gained importance similar to that of the Burgundian Cluny Abbey. The abbey received many donations from noble families and administered 42 daughter monasteries. Popes who visited the abbey include Urban II, Calixt II, Alexander III. and Innocent II. In 1342, Pierre Roger, who had lived as a monk in La Chaise-Dieu, became Pope in Avignon under the name Clement VI. He financed a new building of the abbey church, in which he was finally buried. The building was completed in 1378 under the pontificate of Gregory XI, a nephew of Clement VI. Since 1516 La Chaise-Dieu, like most other French abbeys, became "in commendam" so the commendatory abbot drew the revenue of the monastery but without fulfilling the duties of the abbot or even residing at the monastery. Calvinist troops looted the abbey in August 1562. After most of the monastery buildings were destroyed by fire in 1695, they were rebuilt by the monks in the decades that followed. In 1786, Cardinal de Rohan, who was involved in the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace" was exiled to La Chaise-Dieu. While the abbey had 40 monks at that time, religious life ended at the beginning of the French Revolution. La Chaise-Dieu is known for the tapestries, once woven to embellish the monks´ choir. They were commissioned by Jacques de Saint-Nectaire and were woven by a Flemish workshop between 1501 and 1518. The collection includes 14 tapestries of which two are different and may have been ordered by the abbot for his personal use. The 12 other tapestries constitute a complete continuation of the Annunciation to the Last Judgment. An inventory prior to the Revolution mentions 18 tapestries, so four tapestries have therefore disappeared. The tapestries were only exhibited during major liturgical feasts. They were rolled up and kept during the troubles during the Wars of Religion and the Revolution. In 2013 the tapestries were removed. They got restored and returned to the abbey in July 2019. I was lucky to see them in August 2019. The Nativity scene is seen in the centre, left is "Moses and the Burning Bush" (Exodus 3.1), to the right "Aaron with the censer" (Numbers 16:46)

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. Looking to the central window of the main apse. The large carvings seem to be glued on to the wall. The symbols of the evangelists. On the left the eagle (John), the ox (Luke), on the right the angel (Matthew)and the lion (Marc). During the French Revolution the angel was erased, chiselled off with great precision. Maybe the other three symbols survived, as they were believed to be out of the "real world". When the ensemble consisting of the four sculptures and the window was created, there must have been another "content" in the center. A lamb, or a "majestas domini" in stained glass maybe.

The name of the first known pastor of the parish was "Elbertus de Balleve" in 1202. The church may have existed at that time, at least the main structure. The construction of the church probably began already end of the 10th / early 11th century, but most of the comparably large romanesque hall-church, with a nave, two aisles and a remarkable apse, was done later. The oldest church of this type (north of the Alps!) is the Bartholomew Chapel in Paderborn (100kms northeast), a masterpiece, created by "graecos operarios" (greek workers). So when this church in Balve got consecrated, this was still a sensationel new layout. The romanesque church (still) has four portals. It may be, that the greenish sandstone used, came from Anroechte (50kms northeast), a town between Soest and Paderborn. Quarries in Annroechte still exist today. Seen here in the middle are Mary and St. John under the Cross. Left a nativity scene. Mary on the ground, ox and ass above and Joseph wearing a "Jew´s hat", sitting to the right. This scene has parallels to a carving in Ense/Bremen (25kms north). The right part is very weathered. My first impression proved to be wrong, after I found a copy of "Bau- und Kunstdenkmale von Westfalen", volume 18 ("Kreis Arnsberg"). This book, published in 1906, seems to have the oldest photographs taken here in 1890. More than a hundred years ago, it was obvious, that an angel (note the wings / right) is approaching a person: the Annunciation. - The mountainous "Sauerland", part of the Duchy of Westphalia is known for witch-hunts in the 16th/17th century. Under the terror-regime of barbarous prosecutor Kaspar Reinhard 280 people were burned at the stakes in and around Balve between 1628 and 1630. Some villagers even tried to assassinate him, but he narrowly escaped. The failed assassinators were executed by dismemberment. The believe in witchcraft stayed stable in the Duchy for long time. In 1695 a 12 year old girl was executed in Olpe (50kms south), the last execution took place in Winterberg (60kms east) in 1728. - Green stones from Anroechte: www.anroechter-stein.de/

The site was once a (probably Roman) cemetery. A church, dedicated to St. Peter existed here already within the 5th century. This was erected by the local Bishop Achilleo, to house the chains that supposedly once had bound St. Peter. The chains are meanwhile back in Rome and can be seen in San Pietro in Vincoli. "Extra moenia" means, that the church was outside the city walls (= extra muros). The present church was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It was severely damaged by the Ghibellines in 1329, but was rebuilt in the following decades. The interior was transformed at the end of the seventeenth century - and so by now is Baroque. The facade, decorated with all kinds of reliefs, still is in a good condition. The main door is flanked by two nearly identical carvings. This is a detail from the left post. Here is the "twin brother" of the peasant, seen on the left post. Same dog, same oxes.. Note the many graffiti above them.

The site was once a (probably Roman) cemetery. A church, dedicated to St. Peter existed here already within the 5th century. This was erected by the local Bishop Achilleo, to house the chains that supposedly once had bound St. Peter. The chains are meanwhile back in Rome and can be seen in San Pietro in Vincoli. "Extra moenia" means, that the church was outside the city walls (= extra muros). The present church was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It was severely damaged by the Ghibellines in 1329, but was rebuilt in the following decades. The interior was transformed at the end of the seventeenth century - and so by now is Baroque. The facade, decorated with all kinds of reliefs, still is in a good condition. The main door is flanked by two posts, with nearly identical carvings. This is the right one. On the left the deer, biting a snake, has no fawn. The peasant working with two oxes and his dog are on both sides. Deers are always special animals (St. Hubertus, St. Gilles..)

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. So there are a rhino and a hippo on the facade (see previous uploads), but the animals this cathedral is known for are cows. The high regions of the two extraordinary towers are populated by life size 16 cows (or oxes). Nobody knows, what they stand for, there are just theories. But even stranger - these cows migrated! The towers of the cathedral in Leon were sublime and unique. The workshop, who created these towers were experts erecting filigrane structures in the new (modern) Gothic style. The workshop moved on - to Bamberg in Germany (700 kms east), where they built copies of these towers and added again cows (named "Domkuehe in Bamberg). Art historians proved, that they even moved on from Bamberg to Naumburg (200kms north/east) when the "Naumburger Dom" was under construction.

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. So there are a rhino and a hippo on the facade (see previous uploads), but the animals this cathedral is known for are cows. The high regions of the two extraordinary towers are populated by life size 16 cows (or oxes). Nobody knows, what they stand for, there are just theories. But even stranger - these cows migrated! The towers of the cathedral in Leon were sublime and unique. The workshop, who created these towers were experts erecting filigrane structures in the new (modern) Gothic style. The workshop moved on - to Bamberg in Germany (700 kms east), where they built copies of these towers and added again cows (named "Domkuehe in Bamberg). Art historians proved, that they even moved on from Bamberg to Naumburg (200kms north/east) when the "Naumburger Dom" was under construction.

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. So there are a rhino and a hippo on the facade (see previous uploads), but the animals this cathedral is known for are oxen. The highest level of the two extraordinary towers are populated by life size 16 oxen (or cows). Nobody knows, what they stand for, there are just theories. But even stranger - these oxen migrated! The towers of the cathedral in Leon were sublime and unique. The workshop, who created these towers were experts erecting filigrane structures in the new (modern) Gothic style. The experts moved on - to Bamberg in Germany (700 kms east), where they built copies of these towers and added again cows (named "Domkuehe in Bamberg). Art historians proved, that they even moved on from Bamberg to Naumburg (200kms north/east) when the "Naumburger Dom" was under construction.