Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens

Cayssac is a small hamlet that by now is part of La Loubière. When Ermengarde, countess of Rodez, in 1170 joined the Cistercian Order at the monastery of Nonenque, she donated her "villa" and its land in the Lioujas area to the monastery. Until the Revolution, the Church of Caysssac was linked to that of the monastic "grange" of Lioujas. About 300ha agricultural area belonged to that "grange". The first church was a single-nave building, erected in the late 12th and early 13th century. This church got altered and enlarged many times. The transept was added in the 15th and the choir in a kind of Renaissance style in the 16th century. During the Wars of Religion (1562-1698), the church of Cayssac got fortified, as the Huguenot war captains marauded the area around Rodez. Thus the bell tower got partly walled on the north side to protect itself, while the vaults served as refuges for villagers. Unfortunately the church was locked.

The church was built in the 12th century and was "ruled" by the canons of Bourges. A near fountain may have been already a Celtic place of worship, that got Christianized at the time of Saint Martin. During the French Wars of Religions, the village got completely destroyed and the church was partially burnt down. It was rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century, so only the facade from the 13th and the choir from the 12th century are still Romanesque.

The Castle of Larnagol, located in the valley of the Lot, dates from the 13th century, but the current state corresponds to a reconstruction carried out in the 18th century. The church, situated below the castle, once belonged to this castle, but later became the parish church of the village. It got rebuilt and enlarged in 1445 and in 1873 when the village had a population of about 800, due to the rural exodus now less than 150 people live in Larnagol.

The Castle of Larnagol, located in the valley of the Lot, dates from the 13th century, but the current state corresponds to a reconstruction carried out in the 18th century. The church, situated below the castle, once belonged to this castle, but later became the parish church of the village. It got rebuilt and enlarged in 1445 and in 1873 when the village had a population of about 800, due to the rural exodus now less than 150 people live in Larnagol.

The convent "Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens" existed in Joncels (pop.300) from about the 7th century to the French Revolution. The former cloister now is the central square of the village. I had passed Joncels in 2011, when I walked the Via Tolosana. Not much had changed since then.

The parish church of Brignancourt (pop. 200) is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in the area. The nave was completed already late of the 11th century. A transept dates to the 12th century, when the church got enlarged. The church got severely damaged during the Hundred Years War. When it got restored after that, the ruined northern transept arm got demolished completely and never got rebuilt. A bunch of garden gnomes with red caps settled in the shadow of the church.

The parish church of Brignancourt (pop. 200) is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in the area. The nave was completed already late of the 11th century. A transept dates to the 12th century, when the church got enlarged. The church got severely damaged during the Hundred Years War and rebuilt and restored after that. The tympanum of the southern portal has a geometric pattern. The archivolt consists out of daisies. The portal is flanked by two slim columns. Here is the capital of the right side - a head with long braids, reminding me on dreadlocks.

The parish church of Brignancourt (pop. 200) is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in the area. The nave was completed already late of the 11th century. A transept dates to the 12th century, when the church got enlarged. The church got severely damaged during the Hundred Years War and rebuilt and restored after that. Here is the southern portal (12th c.). The tympanum has a geometric pattern. The archivolt consists out of daisies. Small lion heads are placed on both ends of it.

The parish church of Brignancourt (pop. 200) is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in the area. The nave was completed already late of the 11th century. The transept on the right dates to the 12th century, when the church got enlarged. The church got severely damaged during the Hundred Years War and rebuilt and restored after that.

The church Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens ("St. Peter in Chains") seems huge in the center of a village with a population of well under 150. Cluny owned the place since 1045, and from 1095 on, the small community was administered by the priory of Marcigny. Already in the 1130s the little monastery was important enough to be an "indpendent" cluniacensic priory. This was probably the time, when the construction of the church, built from sandstone. All capitals are under a thick, but peeling coat of white colour. It may be, that this coat conserves them, as they walls are rather but it does not look really nice. Here are a centaur galloping in high speed (see the hair), holding bow and arrow, - and an ape. I have no idea about the connection between the two. Often near hunting centaurs mermaids can be found, not apes. Well of course the creature on the right could be as well a man. But I am pretty sure, that this is an ape. There is in ape on a capital in Clermont-Ferrand, about 130 kms southwest, that is very similar.

The church Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens ("St. Peter in Chains") seems huge in the center of a village with a population of well under 150. Cluny owned the place since 1045, and from 1095 on, the small community was administered by the priory of Marcigny. Already in the 1130s the little monastery was important enough to be an "indpendent" cluniacensic priory. This was probably the time, when the construction of the church, built from sandstone. There are many corbels under the roof. Devils, demons - and this monkey. To see an ape or monkey depicted on a corbel is not that special, but this one may have ties to the strange ape on the centaur-capital inside.

As the central square of Joncels was once the cloister of the benedictian abbey Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, there are some dry spots to have a rest. In another part of the cloister a tractor was parked and other agricultural machinery was stored.

The rain had finally eased, when I reached the small village of Joncels. What is the central square today was once the cloister of the benedictian abbey Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, founded already within the 7th century, severely damaged during the Wars of Religion, sold and dismanteled after the French Revolution. Unfortunately the still existing church was locked. An old sign nearby told me, that the distance to Paris was - 753 kms.