Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Adam

St Botolph's Church in Hardham is late Saxon or early Norman. It is considered to be 11th century and was complete by 1125 at the latest. The dedication to St Botolph is generally associated with Saxon churches. Some stones and tiles used by the Romans for their nearby buildings were incorporated into the fabric of the building. The church changed very little after tit was built. Minimal population growth over the centuries meant that enlargement was not needed; and the parish tended to be poor, with little to spend on rebuilding. Therefore, the church retained its simple appearance until the 19th century, when a porch and bell-turret were added. In 1862, when a section of whitewash was removed a first painting was found. In 1866 the rest were uncovered. They were faded but clearly discernible. In the early 12th century, St Pancras' Priory at Lewes, one of the richest monasteries in England, apparently supervised the decoration of the church interior with an extensive set of frescoes. Murals from the same school (the Lewes Group) can also be seen in Shoreham-by-Sea, (see previous uploads). Unusually, the frescoes cover the whole church interior. Adam and Eve

The Iberians and the Romans have been here, Visigoths made their way to Solsona in the fifth century and, three centuries later, the Saracens settled here for about 70 years, until it came under the rule of the Franks. A monastery dedicated to Santa Maria was established in 1070 with connections to the Counts of Urgell. In the 13th century is evidence of a weekly market. The town was completely encircled by a wall (up to 16 m high) which had 21 towers. The Black Death of 1348 caused a depopulation of the region. A pre-Romanesque church existed here in 977. The first Romanesque church was consecrated in 1070. Preserved from this church are the three apses, seen on the previous upload, and the bell tower, here seen from the cloister. The present church is Gothic and was begun in the late 13th century. It was completed in the 17th century, so lot of barroque elements can be found. Upto 1593 this was a College church, from there on a Cathedral housing bishop's see, as Pope Clement VIII (on request of Philip II, created the new Diocese of Solsona. The Bishops of Solsona of course needed a comfortable place to live and work, so a neoclassical episcopal palace was added to the former monastery within the 18th century - and now houses the Diocean Museum. Objects inside museums are mostly well protected - but miss the "locus", they were produced for and where they had been for centuries. Sometimes these places just do not exist any longer and the objects are really saved. But placed inside a museum, the objects are not part of an "ensemble", what is a pity. From the "Museu Diocesà de Solsona" A very archaic carvings. There is a nude couple to the left holding to a stick or tree. Above them is a large bird, followed by two smaller ones. Next to the female person is a tree, that grows diagonally through the picture to the right upper corner. This tree has branches with leaves and frames a (nude) person with a nimbus. The round objects next to this figure may be large leaves or wings. If these are wings, the person is an angel. There might be a snake in the right lower corner. Under the central tree is a four legged animal. In the center of the tree (and the carving) is a rectangular object with a round hole. When Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, they were not naked anymore, otherwise, this would have been my first guess. While the area seen on the right side of the relief is lush, the left has not much vegetation. If it´s true, that the dog is man's best friend, then the four-legged creature crossing from right to left is a dog. The rectangular object could stand for the portal of the Paradies, noch locked. But why should the angel stand behind that door?

Richardis, wife of Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat") and so "Holy Roman Empress", founded the abbey in Andlau ca 880. Later she lived here (as the abbess). She was known for her piety and so she was canonised, when Pope Leo IX paid a visit to the abbey in 1049. The very left scne on the lintel over the door and below the tympanum of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul. Genesis 2.21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Genesis 2.22 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Actually seen here is, that the small Eve is rising out of the body of the sleeping Adam on a gesture of the Lord, who stands to the left. The gate to the right leads into the Garden of Eden - and the next episode.

The island of Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France. It was colonized the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Romans. After the Roman empire collapsed, Corsica got invaded by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. For a short while the island belonged to the Byzantine Empire, then the Franks granted the island to the Pope, in the early 11th century Pisa and Genoa together freed the island from the threat of Arab invasion. The island came under the influence of the Republic of Pisa, later it belonged to Genua for centuries. In 1755 after a long fight for independence from Genoa the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed, but in 1769, when the island was conquered by France. As the areas near the coast over centuries have been threatened by attacks and raids of pirates many old hamlets and dwellings are wide inland, high in the mountains. So most of the old churches are in the mountains and some of them are hard to find. The small eye catching Romanesque church San Michele is easy to find, located on an isolated hill just outside Murato. It was erected from mid-12th century on and was consecrated in 1280. At that time Corsica was ruled by Pisa and so it was built in a bicolor typical Pisan style recognizable by the alternation of green (serpentine) and white (limestone) stones, very similar to the "Basilica di Saccargia" on the neighbouring island of Sardinia. The single nave church presents remarkable naive motifs on the walls that are amazing in their imagination and variety. The snake offers the apple to Adam. Adam is reluctant, but...

The former church of a priory, built 1150/1170, got remodelled quite often over the centuries. This was done not only by architects, but as well by clerics. The church was dedicated to St. Genesius first, then to St. Limin, followed by Saint-Martin. In the 19th century the dedication changed to Saint-Bonnet and some decades ago to Saint-Bénilde, a saint born in Thuret in 1805 under the name Pierre Romançon. There are interesting carvings here. Ever since the art history discovered them as specific works of art, they have been a subject in the literature. B. Craplet ("Auvergne roman", 1992) describes the carvings just as "unskilled". He in general disagrees with Z. Swiechowski ("Sculpture Romane D'auvergne", 1973), who sees this as the work of "naive folk art". A. Gybal ("L´Auvergne, berceau de l´artroman", 1958) describes a specific "Thuret-style" being a totally simplified work of art. Only to be found here. For him, the simplification is the result of the artists inspiration. He makes totally clear, that this is not "folk art" ("l`art populaire"), but the result of artistic work of very skilled monks ("moines tres cultives"). So this is what André Gybal describes as the "Thuret style" of total simplification. The same capital as before, now from another angle. Adam in the center. Eve, the snake, the apple to the right. Reflective Adam scratches his chin. On the left the third of the skeletal trees, that form the whole of the Garden of Eden. Very minimalistic! Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a hidden message within the unskilled sculptures? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else."

The former church of a priory, built 1150/1170, got remodelled quite often over the centuries. This was done not only by architects, but as well by clerics. The church was dedicated to St. Genesius first, then to St. Limin, followed by Saint-Martin. In the 19th century the dedication changed to Saint-Bonnet and some decades ago to Saint-Bénilde, a saint born in Thuret in 1805 under the name Pierre Romançon. There are interesting carvings here. Ever since the art history discovered them as specific works of art, they have been a subject in the literature. B. Craplet ("Auvergne roman", 1992) describes the carvings just as "unskilled". He in general disagrees with Z. Swiechowski ("Sculpture Romane D'auvergne", 1973), who sees this as the work of "naive folk art". A. Gybal ("L´Auvergne, berceau de l´artroman", 1958) describes a specific "Thuret-style" being a totally simplified work of art. Only to be found here. For him, the simplification is the result of the artists inspiration. He makes totally clear, that this is not "folk art" ("l`art populaire"), but the result of artistic work of very skilled monks ("moines tres cultives"). So this is what André Gybal describes as the "Thuret style" of total simplification. Eve, the snake, the apple. That tells the whole story. The Garden of Eden exists out of exactly three trees (one is behind the corner). These trees not even have leaves, just stem, branches, apples. Exactly one apple per branch. The right tree seems somehow "anorganic", standing on a base. Eve, a huge head on a skinny body, has a very strange look in her eyes. Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a system within the obviously incoherent sculptures? Is there a hidden message within the unskilled carvings? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else." Maybe there is at least one question to ask here. There are 3 trees, 18 branches and 18 apples. Where does the 19. apple come from? The apple the snake offers to Eve.

The adoration of the Magi. St. Mary holds the child, sitting on a chair. Her face and the childs face are destroyed. Behind them is a large nimbs. The three Magi standing on the left. All bodies (very slim and long) are placed on top of two creatures. The left seems to be a bull or ox (hoofs and horns), the right could be a lion (mane). Around this central group are five angels. Four of them blow horns (oliphants?), one tall angel stands behind Mary and is writing into a book. The round flowerlike carving left to the nimbus may be the star that led the Magi. The lintel depicts Adam and Eve on the left, followed by "The Meal at the House of Simon the Pharisee", as only there Marie-Madeleine wipes Jesus' feet with her hair. Though the disciples have different looks and gestures, the legs, the feet and even the pleats of the garments below the table - are nearly identical.

The church Ste-Marie-Madeleine belonged to the former priory de Marcigny. Here the very extraordenary and spectacular portal of the otherwise humble building. Compared to the other romanesque carvings of the Brionnaise, this is very delicate and thematically very chaotic, as it shows different scenes, that seem not be connected to each other. The tympanon depicts St. Mary, the child and the Three Magis, standing on two phantastic animals, and flanked by four angels, blowing giant horns. The lintel below depicts Adam and Eve to the right and the last supper. See the other photos for more details.

San Bartolomé is the oldest church of Logroño. The construction dates back to the 12th century. Though it got altered largely in the 16th century, the Romanesque structure is still visible. During the time of "La Desamortización", when mid 19th century many monastic properties got sold, the church was used as a warehouse and workshop. It was even discussed to demolish the building. The porch was created in the 13th century. Below the large vignettes themed about Saint Bartholomew's life and death (see previous upload) are small, very nice scenes. Here are Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden through the wooden door on the right. Genesis 3:23-24 "So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

Saint-Pardoux was erected in the second half of the 12th century as a church for a priory, dependent from the Benedictine Abbey Saint-Étienne in Baignes. The single-nave church got enlarged later and restored/rebuilt in the 19th century. It is claimed, that the facade is inspired by the construction of the cathedral of Angouleme. I do not see a strong influence. The blueprint of the facade is the "triumph arch". hundreds of churches in the Saintongue have a similar portal. The carvings of the facade are very elaborate. Here is the fall of man: Eva, the serpent and an apple.