Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Notre-Dame

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities. It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it. For centuries, the abbey was an important stop on the Via Lemovicensis, which starts in Vézelay and crosses the Loire here. The Coquille St. Jaques is the sign of the pilgrims. From 2006 I walked this way in stages

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities. It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it. I had been here a couple of times and have already uploaded many photos, so by now I will only add a few

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities. It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it. I had been here a couple of times and have already uploaded many photos, so by now I will only add a few

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities. It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it. I had been here a couple of times and have already uploaded many photos, so by now I will only add a few

Notre Dame was a Cluniac priory, with a huge church, which was erected between 1059-1107. It was consecrated when Pope Paschal II visited the priory. The church is important, as it was built parallel to Cluny III - and so has many similarities. It once was 122 meters long and had a nave and four aisles. There were five portals (like in younger Bourges) and two western towers. One of these towers collapsed already in 1204. Mid of the 16th century the nave got severely damaged by fire The priory existed up to the French Revolution. Some parts of the ruined church got converted to residential houses, the structure since then serves as a parish church. In 1840 there were plans, to demolish the building, but Prosper Mérimée stepped in - and so saved it. The apartments use the wall of the former nave. I had been here a couple of times and have already uploaded many photos, so by now I will only add a few

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. The "screen" is 28,6 m high by 19,5 m wide. There are three levels. The lowest (here only party seen) has three arcades forming the entry into a porch. Above are two arcaded galleries, one above the other. On each of these two upper levels the arches rest on 17 columns. Emphasising the top and bottom of these galleries are three string courses consisting of 51 (not water-transporting) gargoyles. The original gargoyles were in place for only a short time. They were removed already around 1240, following a fatal accident. An usurer was killed on the church forecourt, when a stone figure representing an usurer became detached and hit him. His colleagues organised the destruction of all gargoyles on the façade. A kind of vandalism, that got "repaired". The 51 gargoyles which today decorate the façade were made in 1880-1882, during the restoration of the church. What the vandals of the French Revolution did in 1794 could not be repaired. They chiselled off the complete works over the central portal.

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. The "screen" is 28,6 m high by 19,5 m wide. There are three levels. The lowest (here only party seen) has three arcades forming the entry into a porch. Above are two arcaded galleries, one above the other. On each of these two upper levels the arches rest on 17 columns. Emphasising the top and bottom of these galleries are three string courses consisting of 51 (not water-transporting) gargoyles. The original gargoyles were in place for only a short time. They were removed already around 1240, following a fatal accident. A usurer was killed on the church forecourt as he was about to get married: a stone figure representing a usurer became detached and fell on him. His colleagues organised the destruction of all gargoyles on the façade, except for one at the upper right corner that survived until the 1960s, when it was replaced. The gargoyles which today decorate the façade were made in 1880-1882, during the restoration of the church.

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. The "screen" is 28,6 m high by 19,5 m wide. There are three levels. The lowest (here only party seen) has three arcades forming the entry into a porch. Above are two arcaded galleries, one above the other. On each of these two upper levels the arches rest on 17 columns. Emphasising the top and bottom of these galleries are three string courses consisting of 51 (not water-transporting) gargoyles. The original gargoyles were in place for only a short time. They were removed already around 1240, following a fatal accident. A usurer was killed on the church forecourt as he was about to get married: a stone figure representing a usurer became detached and fell on him. His colleagues organised the destruction of all gargoyles on the façade, except for one at the upper right corner that survived until the 1960s, when it was replaced. The gargoyles which today decorate the façade were made in 1880-1882, during the restoration of the church. Here are three of them.

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. The "screen" is 28,6 m high by 19,5 m wide. There are three levels. The lowest (here only party seen) has three arcades forming the entry into a porch. Above are two arcaded galleries, one above the other. On each of these two upper levels the arches rest on 17 columns. Emphasising the top and bottom of these galleries are three string courses consisting of 51 (not water-transporting) gargoyles. The original gargoyles were in place for only a short time. They were removed already around 1240, following a fatal accident. A usurer was killed on the church forecourt as he was about to get married: a stone figure representing a usurer became detached and fell on him. His colleagues organised the destruction of all gargoyles on the façade, except for one at the upper right corner that survived until the 1960s, when it was replaced. The gargoyles which today decorate the façade were made in 1880-1882, during the restoration of the church.

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. Seen over that "screen" is a jacquemart. It was brought to Dijon from Kortrijk (Belgium), after the looting of Kortrijk by the armies of Philip the Bold (Duke Philippe II of Burgundy) in 1382.

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. As seen already, not only the architectoral structure is built from granite, the carved capitals are carved from this extrem hard stone as well. So they cannot be that fine and detailled as sandstone-carvings can be. They do have a certain kind of roughness. The same capital as seen before, now seen from right. A donkey, a beast of burden, for sure pretty often to be seen, when this church was erected, as all stones had to be carried up the mountain. As well many pilgrims used to travel with donkeys on their way to Santiago, as many old "horseshoe graffitis" on "Hospice des pélerins" prove. Donkeys are known for their capabilities, but as well have quite a reputation for stubbornness. This one is stubborn. We have seen (on the left side of the capital), that one person on the left was pulling the donkeys tail. Here we see the head and the arm of somebody who is pulling on a rope, the donkey has around the neck. And we see, that this is a jenny, as there is a foal.

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. As seen already, not only the architectoral structure is built from granite, the carved capitals are carved from this extrem hard stone as well. So they cannot be that fine and detailled as sandstone-carvings can be. They do have a certain kind of roughness. A donkey, a beast of burden, for sure pretty often to be seen, when this church was erected, as all stones had to be carried up the mountain. As well many pilgrims used to travel with donkeys on their way to Santiago, as many old "horseshoe graffitis" on "Hospice des pélerins" prove. Donkeys are known for their capabilities, but as well have quite a reputation for stubbornness. This one is stubborn. So one person tries to "motivate" the donkey, by pulling the tail. But that is not the only person trying to move the animal. BTW - British author Tom Moore wrote a book about his (recent) way to Santiago with a donkey. It had fun, reading it. I just found it under two titels: "Spanish Steps: Travels With My Donkey" - or - "Travels with My Donkey: One Man and His Ass on a Pilgrimage to Santiago".

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. Looking from the southern aisle across the nave. The church has four bays. Most interesting here is the architectoral structure of the wall. There are three levels. The arches in the ground, then follows a matroneum, a gallery, that often can be seen in "pilgrim churches" (eg. Conques), topped by the clearstory. But - the matroneum is a fake. There is no gallery behind. They are only very few churches with this strange feature. One is in Vignory, far north. Bernard Craplet, author of the important book "Auvergne Romane", sees influences from Burgundy (Cluny III, Paray-le-Monial), but even for him, the "fake matroneum" is "archaic".

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. The semicircular choir and the ambulatory around it. Ambulatories are common in churches, visited by many pilgrims, as so the masses could easily walk around the altar, where relics were kept. Here the choir has six pillars. The capitals have floral decorations. Behind the pillars two of the apse chapels can be seen. Above is a blind arcade with three windows.

The church (seen here from south/east) is quite large for a remote village (pop. under 50). It was planned and built during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. This one connected Vezelay (via Nevers) to Clermont (and Le Puy). The church, built from local grey granite, is a basilica with a transept, an ambulatory (typical for churches built for pilgrims), and four radial chapels.

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church, a basilica with a transept, is quite large for a small, remote village (pop well under 500). When it was planned in this dimension, during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. This one connected Vezelay (via Nevers) to Clermont (and Le Puy). The church is built from local grey granite, what is quite a difference to the golden, soft sandstone used in the nearby Brionnais. Note the huge narthex on the left. The length of the total structure is 41,35m.

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they own in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. Urban II had been a monk in Cluny for some years, before he was sent to Rome. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here on the hill, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. After the French Revolution the bell tower lost the spire and the church was sold and used as a storage for salpeter, a chemical used for the production of gunpowder. So the church/the storage was under the custody of the National Guard, what saved it from demolition.

In 1082 some Seigneur Dalmas and his wife Étiennette gave all the properties they owned in "Castrumin Montanis", including a church, to Cluny. This legal act was important enough to get an official approval from Pope Urban II in 1095. A priory was set up - and a small church was erected. Parts of this church can still be found in the church seen here, built 1100 - 1200. The priory never really flourished, the community of monks was small - and already from 1462 on, the church was used as a parish church. The church is quite large for a remote village of a population well under 500 (today). When it was planned during the boom of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, Châtel-Montagne was ideally placed on one of the many "Chemin de St-Jacques" in France. As seen already, not only the architectoral structure is built from granite, the carved capitals are carved from this extrem hard stone as well. So they cannot be that fine and detailled as sandstone-carvings can be. They do have a certain kind of roughness. A very flexible atlant, a bit like the merman/atlant seen before, bit this one has a very strange face. I agree with Bernard Craplet, who describes this as an atlant "with the head of an ape". Well, the feet are pretty ape-like as well, and as apes are very flexible - the atlant seen here probably is an ape.