Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: helmet

The Berchtesgaden monastery was founded in 1102 as community of Augustinian Canons by Count Berengar of Sulzbach, a friend of Henry V. The Canons felt nor safe and comfortable in the wild, wooded area - and gave up the place soon after. They returned with the first Provost Eberwin around 1120 - and started a success story. The monastery became an Imperial abbey in already 1194. In 1380 the provosts achieved the status of an ecclesistical "Reichsfuerst" and in the 1550s they even held a direct vote in the Reichstag assembly as "Prince-Provosts". From the very beginning upto the secularisation of the monastery in 1803 it was open only for the offsprings of noble families, what actually created this political power. In 1810 the territory of the former monastery fell to the newly established Kingdom of Bavaria, so that the House of Wittelsbach could finally transform the monastic buildings into a summer palace. The former collegiate church "St. Peter and St. John the Baptist" serves as a parish church since 1803. The most important piece of architecture (for me) is the cloister. Most of the structure survived all the time, and even when the House of Wittelsbach converted the provostry into a summer palace, the old closter stayed untouched. The carving style here is very rough and differs from the sophisticated works seen an St. Zeno, less than 20 kms south. The motifs and symbols found here are very graphic. This carving is next to that large man, just seen. A sitting man, as well wearing a hood or helmet plays the harp, while a dog (bear?) above him, seems to dance.

A Roman settlement, named "Aeminium" existed here. When the neighbouring town "Conimbriga" got conquered and destroyed by the Suebes in 468, the survivors moved to "Aeminium" - and renamed it. The Visigoths under King Wittiza named the town "Eminio" later. In 714 the town was conquered by Muslim troops, who changed the name again. Coimbra was finally recaptured in 1064 by King Fernando de Castilla y León. Coimbra became the second capital of the Kingdom of Portugal (after Guimarãesin) 1139, a status that moved to Lisbon in 1256. The University of Coimbra, founded by Denis of Portugal (aka "Dom Dinis") in 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe. Coimbra hosts the "Machado de Castro National Museum", named after Machado de Castro, a Portuguese sculptor of the late 18th century. It has a wide, very interesting collection. Here are some examples. This knight depicts Domingos Joanes as proven by his military accoutrements – helmet, chain-mail, sword, footwear with spurs, and his heraldic device emblazoned on the shield which he bears. The sculpture is attributed to "Master Pero", a sculptor who moved to Portugal probably from Aragon and worked here from about 1325 to 1345. www.museumachadocastro.gov.pt/en-GB/2%20museu/ContentList...

One of the first printed records about this gate stated in 1859 "Of all old monuments in the Rhine valley, none as mysterious as the portal (...) near the church in Remagen". The Pfarrhoftor (= Gateway to the parish close) still is enigmatic. It may have been erected for a nearby monastery, that centered around an St. Apollinaris shrine, it may have been in deed a gate to a parish close. Actually it known since the 17th century, when parts of it were found, walled in between the rectory and the encircling wall. The parts were recovered and like pieces of a puzzle joined together. Though the cope stone was lost, the large arch was easy to reconstruct. Wether the smaller side portal originally was left or right is unclear. The 22 carved reliefs here have triggered more than a dozend different theories. I will quote some. The carving style was not appreciated by the art-historians. Already Wilhelm Bode ("Geschichte der Deutschen Plastik") wrote in 1887 that the carver was "without any artistic ambition". For me this portal has parallels in Linden and Goegging. All three portals are roughly carved - and enigmatic, blending christian, pagan and ancient icons. The only point, that is undisputed is, that the portal was erected in the second half of the 12th century. In 1902, when the neo-Romanesque church St. Peter and Paul was erected, the Pfarrhoftor got placed here, next to the new church. A person equipped with helmet, shield and spear standing / posing on the bones of an slaughtered enemy. This may be St. Michael, triumphing over the dragon (with a human face), but there are no wings, no nimbus. For church historian Dr. Koeniger (1947) the icon offers criticism to the knighthood, as the person defiles the bones of an enemy. Or is this virtue triumphing over vice..? Or David (Humalitas) and Goliath (Superbia)? Undisputed is that the triumphator wears a garment, that was widely used by the nobility within the 12th century.

Pavia once was the last stronghold of the Ostrogoths, but was conquered by the Lombards (aka Longobards) after a three-years-siege in 572. From the 7th century on Pavia was the capital of the Lombard kingdom. A chapel, dedicated to Saint Michel, existed here as part of the palace, when the Lombards ruled from here. When Frankish troops invaded Northern Italy and defeated the Lombard armee in 773, Charlemagne laid siege to Pavia. After taking the fortified town, Charlemagne crowned himself King of the Lombards. The former palace-chapel burnt down in 1005, about a century after the Hungarians (= "Magyars") had looted Pavia. The church seen here was begun in the 11th century and was completed by 1155. In 900 the chapel had seen the coronation of Louis III (aka "Louis the Blind", as he was blinded in 905 by Berengar). In the current church Frederick I (aka "Frederick Barbarossa") received the Iron Crown and the title of King of Italy. A crypt was probably already part of the palace-chapel, but it got obviously rebuilt, when the church got erected. Most capitals down here depict dangerous animals assaulting harmless humans. While the evil beasts already nibble his shoulders, this man is still smiling. www.sanmichelepavia.it/html/en_home.html

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 carvings of the facade and all around the apse are very elaborate and come from very skilled and experienced workshops. Compared to the exterior splendor, the interior of Saint-Pardoux is simple and sober. The sculpted capitals here differ from the works outside. The capitals are pretty rough. It seems, that the Benedictines spent all the funds for the exterior decoration, when the church was built, so they did not employ a skilled artist here. The topics differ as well - and seem a bit inadequate for a priory. The previous upload had a scene, that could be described as "sexual harassment". Here is a kissing couple - and a female raising her arms (in despair? taken alarm?). The couple is sitting. Note the small leg of the kissing warrior (helmet).

What is the parish church of the tiny village Saint-Thibault, seen here, was the center of a priory, that was founded in 1190. In the early times, the priory had erected a Romanesque church. After the "translation" of Saint Thibault´s relics to this church (1240), pilgrims arrived here in greater numbers, what created "business". So end of the 13th century the monks started to replace the Romanesque church with a "modern" Gothic one. The choir was built between 1299 and 1323. This large church collapsed in 1712. A fire burnt down what was rebuilt 16 years later. So that only the choir, a transept chapel and an early Gothic portal still existed, when a humble rebuilding process started mid 18th century. The portal, seen on the previous upload, has two statues on either side. Here is the couple from the portal´s right side. Two simply dressed men. The left one wears a helmet and has red hair and beard. He seems to greet or bless somebody to the right. His nicely combed friend wears a kind of crown, but for a young king of prince, his attire is too simple. He has this typical Gothic smile on his face.

Melle was known already during Roman times, when silver and lead were mined here. The silver mines were exploited over hundreds of years, got forgotten and "rediscovered" in the 19th century. Today they are a tourist attraction. Melle was wealthy and the pilgrims, walking the Via Turonensis, passed through Melle on their way to Santiago, what brought even more money into town. Churches were erected during the heydays of the pilgrimage. Three (!) Romanesque churches can still be found here. Melle must have been a large building site within the 12th century, with hundreds of construction worker and dozends of carvers. Saint-Savinien is the oldest of the three Romanesque churches in Melle. It is as well the most austere church and the only one erected within the city walls in two stages in the 11th and the 12th century. After the French Revolution, the building was used as a prison - upto 1926. Throughoutfully renovated in the 1960s, it serves for cultural events like concerts and exhibitions nowadays. The western facade has some interesting, very rough, archaic carvings, what is a surprise. Master carvers worked on many places not far away (eg Aulnay), later even in Melle. . A fully armoured knight, holding a lance (with two pennons). The bridle can be seen. The "chevalier" wears helmet/visor and shield - and maybe uses rather large stirrups. No! This is not a unicorn.