Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: androphagus

Porto is with a population of about 250.000 the largest city in Northern Portugal. In "Greater Porto", the metropolitan area, live even more than 1.7 million people. The historical center of Porto was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Port wine is named after Porto, since the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia on the southern banks of the river Douro are the centers for packaging, transport and export of the fortified wine. Some years ago I had been here for a couple of days before I started the "Camino Portugues" here. According to the tradition a monastery existed here within the 6th century. The church of today was consecrated in 1087, but it is proven that two buildings existed here already before. The inscription carved into the tympanum states, that the church was founded in 559 by King Theodemar and consecrated by the Bishop of Braga Lucrécio, but the inscription was done in 1767. I had learned that inside are two Pre-romanesque capitals, but the church was locked, but I could see the capitals that adorned the three portals of the church like this one. A satanic beast has grabbed a soul.

Soon after the village was founded 1090 a small, humble single-nave church has been erected right here. Though, this was a small church, it has this large, elaborated portal. The quarries, where the reddish marble was cut, are very close to Villefranche and the workshops working there for Saint-Martin-du-Canigou, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa or the priory of Serrabone may have offered their masterly work for a "special price" to the local church. Having a closer look to the right side of the portal. Again the masterly carvings seem like model-carvings for the pious investors of they abbeys and priories, placing orders to the artists. Please not the very left animal. I am very sure, this is not a lion, but an ape.