Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: lioness

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. Up to the very left of the "reddish" romanesque block, once maybe part of a westwork, towers this masterly carved lioness holding and so protecting her frightened cub. The lioness does not only have terrifying teeth, the flawless curly hairdo impresses as well.

Worms, one of the oldest towns in Germany, was an early bishopric in the valley of the Rhine river and an important palatinate of Charlemagne, who built a palace here. Burchard of Worms, bishop since 1000, had the older carolingian church dismantled and started the construction of the cathedral, dedicated to St Peter. In 1018 this church got consecrated - the first time. In 1122 the Concordat of Worms was signed here, ending the Investiture Controversy. In 1521 the Diet of Worms, a general assembly of the estates of the Holy Roman Empire, took place here, presided by Emperor Charles V. Martin Luther said the sentence "Here I stand. I can do no other. May God help me" here. After that he was declared an outlaw. Parts of the basilica collapsed and got rebuilt. The most parts of the cathedral seen today was constructed between 1125 and the end of that century. The church has two choirs (east and west) and is 110 meters long. During the Nine Years' War, the french troops tried to blew up the building, but failed. Another pair of lions on another window sill of the eastern façade. The left lion is just killing a poor human with a long mustache and a giant chin. The black lion to the right may be a mother, protecting her cub, a theme similar to the carving in Andlau (Alsace). It is difficult to take photos of the façade, as the neighbouring buildings are very close to it. This black lioness is the only clearly weathered carving on this side. All other, like the left lion, by her side look mint and may be copies of the old ones. The cathedral got severely damaged end of WWII - and reconstructed in the 1950s.

Assisi is located on a steep slope (accessible via escalators) and a site of many a pilgrimage. Even in winter it can be very crowded - and a day before, we had to turn back, as all parking lots in the valley below were full. A day later, in heavy rain, we tried it again - and were in luck. This "Cattedrale di San Rufino" of today is the third church on this spot. They had been built over the tomb of Saint Rufinus, Bishop of Assisi, martyred in the 3rd century. The construction of the cathedral was started in 1134. When in 1228 Pope Gregory IX was in Assisi for the canonization of Saint Francis, he consecrated the high altar of the cathedral, that was finally completed in 1253. Of course during the long time of construction, the church was in use already. Saint Francis was baptized here in 1182, Saint Clare in 1193. The Romanesque façade of the Assisi-Cathedral is one of the richest in Umbria. On the right edge of the facade waits a huge lioness. The frieze below repeats the icons of the side portals. There are again birds - and lions - drinking from a chalice.

The collegiate church Saint-Pierre (aka "St-Pierre-aux-Liens") dates back to the 12th century, though many alterations and the fortification seen here, were done later. A church and convent that existed here, got looted and burnt down by the Normans in 866. It was named "Scotorum", so it may be have been founded by Scottish/Irish monks. Around 980 a collegiate was founded here, dedicated to Saint Peter. Under the first monks were Israël and his disciple Theobald, who later became the patron saints of Le Dorat. The church of the collegiate was set on fire by local villagers during a regional war in 1013 and burnt down. The newly built church got consecrated in 1063 - and burnt down in 1080. Soon after this a crypt was built, but the erection of the church above the crypt did not start before 1112. When in 1130, the choir and the radial chapels were completed, the relics of Saint Israël and Saint Theobald were "translated" into the church, what attracted obviously lots of pilgrims following the Via Lemovicensis to a little detour. In the following centuries Le Dorat was threatened by and involved into many wars and feuds and so town and church got heavily fortified. That did not help, when in 1567 a Huguenot-armee of 15.000 troops conquered the place, killed about 400 inhabitants and looted town and convent. All buildings of the collegiate got lost after the French Revolution, only the really large church (74,70 m long) survived the times and now serves as a parish church. There are many lions on the capitals, threatening the pious pilgrims below. Here the head of a lioness with two cubs.