Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: stone mason

The Premonstratensian Steingaden Abbey (aka "Welfenmünster") was founded in 1147 by Welf VI. son of "Henry the Black" and brother of "Henry the Proud". Welf VI was already a member of the "Younger House of Welf", as the "Older House of Welf" ended (male wise) with Welf III in 1055. Welf III´s sister had married into the Italian d´Este family - and so she had started the "Younger House of Welf". The Welfs have been powerful counterparts to the Staufers - and the Welfs still exist - all over the place. One branch leads to George I of England, whose grand grand....daughter is Queen Elizabeth II. Other branches take you to the late Frederica, Queen of Greeks and mother of Queen Sofia of Spain - and of course, one line leads to Ernst August of Hanover married to the Princess of Hanover, aka Caroline of Monaco (daughter of Grace Kelly). That is the thread leading from Steingaden - to London, Monaco and elsewhere. The abbey itself had a kind of volatile history. Over the first centuries, the buildings were altered from romanesque to gothic style - before they were burnt down and looted 1525 during the Peasant´s War. A couple of years later, it was rebuilt in the style of the Renaissance, to get burnt down again 1646 during the Thirty Year´s War. After a new start - now in baroque and rococo - it got secularized in 1803. Then most buildings of the abbey got demolished before the main church (the "Welfenmuenster") was turned into the parish church of the village of Steingaden. The sculpture (a noble couple (?) and a bearded stonemason) dates to the 12th century. After the secularisation most buildings of the monsatery got demolished and many stone were reused, when buildings were built at that time. This sculpture was found in 1892, when a neighbouring house got renovated.

A previous church at this place was once part of the castle, erected by the Earls of Bourbon on a rocky headland overhanging a meander of the Bouble. In 937 Odo of Cluny, who was the second abbot in Cluny, added this place as a priory to the cluniac sphere. The still existing romanesque church of the "Abbaye Saint-Vincent de Chantelle", was built within the 12th century. Monastic life declined later and after the French Revolution was sold. Mid 19th century it was "bought back" by the abbey of Pradines. Since 1890 ist is a monastery again. The nuns living and working here, produce herbal cosmetics - and sell the worldwide. www.benedictines-chantelle.com/ Within the "public" area of the nave are some interesting carvings. A man, having an unproportional large head and very short legs, is holding tools. There is a kind of hammer in his right and a chisel (?) in his left hand. Two more items are hanging down from his belt. Angle meters? The carving is a bit rough, not very delicate. Probably nor carved by one of the masters, that worked within the Auvergne. But - in case the tools are identified correctly, this probably is a stone sculptor showing his tools. And in case this is right, then this capital may be counted as very early self-portrait! Sorry for the bad quality of the photo.

Radegonde (aka "Radegund", "Radegundis") was a princess, born in Thuringia around 520. She was married to Chlothar I but left her husband and founded the convent "Sainte-Marie-Hors-les-Murs" in Poitiers around 552. The nunnery was the first and became the most important in the Frankish Empire. After having received a fragment of the "True Cross" from the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, the name of the abbey changed to "Abbaye Sainte-Croix". In 587 Radegonde was buried here. The first church was erected over her tomb. Radegonde´s remains were exhumed in 1012 for public veneration, what triggered a major pilgrimage to Poitiers. After a major fire, the church was rebuilt. The church of today, constructed from the 11th to 12th centuries, was built in a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Sculptured corbels line both sides of the nave. Next to this corbel is a mason´s mark (V). It may well be that the person seen here is a working stone mason, maybe an early self-portrait.