Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Varenne-l'Arconce

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.