Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Joseph of Arimathea

In 74 BC, the Roman city was founded by Pompejus on the site of a local settlement. The city served to secure the Pyrenees crossing from Roncesvalles. Pamplona was destroyed several times in the course of its history: 466 by the Visigoths, 542 by the Franks, 778 by Charlemagne, 924 by Abd ar-Rahman III and in 1521 during the Franco-Spanish War by troops of Francis I. Its location on the Way of St. James from France gave the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre a boom in the 11th century. With the division of Navarre, the city ultimately came to Spain. After the conquest of the country and its incorporation into Castile in 1512-1515, Pamplona became one of the outposts of the Spanish crown on the French border. Its mission for 300 years was to secure the border against a possible invasion from France. Fortifications and walls were a vital system of defense, but at the same time prevented the city from expanding. The museum is located in the old hospital “Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia de Pamplona” from the 16th century. However, only the facade with the main entrance and the former chapel remain of the hospital. The Descent from the Cross Created by the "Maestro del claustro de la Catedral de Pamplona". ca 1150

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry. A medieval tile found on the Abbey grounds depicting an elephant

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry. The only building that has survived the centuries almost unscathed is "Abbot´s Kitchen". It is architecturally similar to the kitchen at Fontevraud Abbey near Chinon in France

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry. The richly decorated portal of St Mary's Chapel Details On the left the Magi on horseback, on the right Herod ordering the Massacre of the Innocents

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry. The richly decorated portal of St Mary's Chapel

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry.

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry.

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry. A model of the abbey before it was neglected and destroyed

Glastonbury is a town of less than 10,000 inhabitants, but it is also a myth. A number of stories dating back to the Middle Ages link Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury and also to the legend of the Holy Grail, King Arthur and Avalon. The abbey flourished at that time, as do the many esoteric shops and services today, and then there is the annual Glastonbury Festival, one of the most important music events in Europe. One legend claims that the abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea in the 1st century. But it´s proven, that the abbey was founded in the 8th century and enlarged in the 10th. It was destroyed by a major fire in 1184. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1186. There is evidence that, in the 12th century, the ruined nave was renovated enough for services while the great new church was being constructed. Pilgrim visits had fallen and in 1191 the alleged discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb in the cemetery provided fresh impetus for visiting Glastonbury. In the 14th century, only Westminster Abbey was more richly endowed and appointed than Glastonbury. The abbey was suppressed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII of England. The last abbot, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered as a traitor on Glastonbury Tor in 1539. After the Dissolution, two of the abbey's manors in Wiltshire were sold by the Crown to John Thynne. The ruins of the abbey itself was stripped of lead and dressed stones hauled away to be used in other buildings. The site was granted by Edward VI to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset who established a colony of Protestant Dutch weavers on the site. When Seymour was attainted in 1551, the abbey site reverted to the crown, but the weavers remained until they were removed in the reign of Queen Mary. In 1559 Elizabeth I of England granted the site to Peter Carew, and it remained in private ownership until the beginning of the 20th century. Further stones were removed in the 17th century, so that by the beginning of the 18th century the abbey was described as a ruin. The only building to survive intact is the Abbot's Kitchen, which served as a Quaker meeting house. Early in the 19th century the site became a quarry.

A Celtic castle existed here, from which resistance against the Romans originated. The city was nevertheless taken. Afterward, it began to be built as a Roman city and became an important Roman military base. In the second half of the 5th century, Segovia became part of the Visigoth Empire. From the 8th to the 11th centuries, Segovia was under Moorish possession. In 1085 Alfonso VI conquered the city. From the 13th to the 15th century it was a royal residence. The predecessor of the Catedral de Segovia (aka "Santa Iglesia Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos de Segovia" was a church that began around 1140 when Segovia was repopulated under Alfonso VII. This church was destroyed during a popular uprising in Castile in 1520. In 1525 the cathedral chapter decided to build a new building. The foundation stone was laid in 1525. In 1558 the building was completed up to the transept and was consecrated as a cathedral. It was erected in a late Gothic style, outdated elsewhere in Europe. In 1614 the large spire was destroyed by lightning. It was made of mahogany imported from America and covered with fire-gilded lead. The cathedral ceilings were also damaged by the fire. During a restoration around 1620, the tower was given its current shape, reduced by 12 m in height. The cathedral was finally consecrated in 1768. It is 105 m long and 50 m wide. The central nave is 33 m high. The cathedral houses a large number of paintings. Flemish painter Ambrosius Benson / ~ 1530 / Triptych of the Descent /

Santo Domingo de Silos is a village with a population of about 300 - and at least one nice hotel. The first monastery was founded here in the Visigoth period (~ 590), but this monastery did not survive the Muslim period. A monastery was founded here again in 929, but it came to a standstill again after the raids under Almansor in the last quarter of the 10th century. In 1002 the monastery was destroyed and had to be founded again. During the term of abbot Domingo de Silos from 1041- 1073, the monastery was strongly supported by King Ferdinand I, who was in power 1035 - 1065. Under Abbot Domingo, construction began on a Romanesque church with three naves, a transept and five apses. The consecration took place in 1088 before the construction as a whole was completed after the turn of the 12th century. After abbot Domingo's death, his veneration began and the monastery adopted him as its patron saint. It was called Santo Domingo de Silos from about 1110. In the 18th century, there was a need for a larger church. The Romanesque church was demolished and replaced by a baroque new building. The Romanesque cloister has two stories. The lower floor was of course built sometime earlier than the upper floor. The dates are disputed. The oldest parts may date from the late tenure of Saint Domingo. The upper one was completed around 1160/80. The "Descent from the Cross" Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion

Slavic Ranen lived on the island of Ruegen and the mainland opposite the island. They were independent heathens up to the middle of the 12th century, and so maybe the last non-Christian people in Central Europe. In 1168 Danish King Valdemar I defeated the Ranen and destroyed "Jaromarsburg" their main sanctuary. After the Danish victory, the Slavic princes became feudatories of the Danish crown and accepted the Christian faith. They founded Strale, which prospered because of the rich herring stocks in the waters, many merchants settled here who saw this as their basis for trade. Already in 1234 Slavic Prince Wizlaw I granted the village the town charter (Lübsches Stadtrecht). Stralsund now became an important trading town in the Baltic region, mainly due to settlers from Westphalia. The German settlers clearly outnumbered the Slavic population already around 1300. From 1325 on Stralsund belonged to Pomerania-Wolgast. In the 14th century, it was the most important Hanseatic city in the southern Baltic region after Lübeck. The 15th century was Stralsund's heyday. Long-distance trade was the most important economic factor. Around 1450, 350 merchants were involved in such trade. In 1488, 50 skippers founded the "St. Marienbruderschaft der Schiffer", the forerunner of the still existing "Stralsund Schiffercompagnie". As early as 1525, the majority of Stralsund's citizens converted to the Protestant faith. After the Thirty Years' War Stralsund belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden for almost 200 years. In 1815 Stralsund came to Prussia. - The town hall and the Nikolaikirche form an impressive architectural ensemble. The planning and construction of the church went hand in hand with the planning of the town hall. The city council was even the trustee for the construction of the new church. The church was initially built as a hall church but following the example of Lübeck's Marienkirche, the unfinished Nikolaikirche was rebuilt into a basilica around 1270. From the beginning, the church was built with brick produces in the region. Around 1308, the enclosing wall of the choir was closed. This is the result of dendrochronological investigations. With the start of construction work on the new choir pillars, the eastern part of the predecessor church, which had still been used until then, was finally demolished. An invoice from 1314 for the ridge turret of the choir indicates the date of completion of this section. Construction of the tower to the west began as early as 1300. Around 1314, when the tower had reached the height of the choir enclosure at 13 metres, the council decided to have two towers built. Around 1350, the construction of the nave between the two towers was completed. - The altar is named "Altar der Buergermeister" (Altar of the Mayors), as it was donated by the mayors Henning Mörder and Sabel Oseborn. The donation was made around 1511, just before the Reformation. The deposition from the cross can be seen with the mourners on the left side. Nicodemus stands at the foot of the cross, stretching his hands to catch the body and and Joseph of Arimathea.

Legends tell, that in 490, 492 and 493 the archangel Michael appeared to a shepherd and a bishop in front of a grotto. Archangel Michael instructing them to convert that cave into a Christian church. This grotto became the site of many pilgrimages since the early Middle Ages. It is said, that this is the oldest shrine in Western Europe When the Lombards successfully conquered southern Italy end of the 6th century, King Grimoald in 662 passed on the region to his son, Romuald I, who renovated the sanctuary and encouraged its use as a pilgrimage site. It got very popular for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and as well for pilgrims who had followed the Via Francigena to Rome and then continued to the grotto. Many Popes have been here, but as well Bridget of Sweden, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Matilda of Tuscany, Otto III... Only about 100 meters south of the sanctuary is a complex of (once) three interconnected and partially nested buildings. The apse of the Church of San Pietro, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the "Tomba di Rotari" (aka "San Giovanni Battista in Tomba"). It was believed, that this was the mausoleum of the Lombardian King Rothari, but that was a misinterpretation. The consent now, is, that the 12th structure was a baptistery, dedicated to John the Baptist. The small portal has an extraordinary very complex tympanum. The upper part is centred around the "Descent from the Cross". Joseph of Arimathea holds large pliers.

In 1134 Diederik van de Elzas (= Thierry d'Alsace"), Count of Flanders, commissioned to erect a chapel next to the his residence "Oud Steen" (now the town hall of Bruges). The chapel was dedicated to Saint Basil the Great. The basilica consisted of a lower and upper chapel, as a second chapel was erected on top of the Saint Basil chapel. Diederik joined the Second Crusade in 1147 and - according to the tradition - returned to Bruges with the relic of the "Holy Blood", allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea. So during the first half of the 13th century, the name of the upper chapel was changed to the Chapel of the Holy Blood. This (upper) chapel got severely damaged after the French Revolution and got rebuilt and renovated during the 19th century, giving it a very "neo-Gothic" touch. Seen on this blurry photo is the phial, that contains the Holy Blood. Three days ago, on Ascension Day the relic was in the center of the "Heilig Bloedprocessie" (= "Procession of the Holy Blood"), a ceremony that dates back to the 13th century. www.holyblood.com/?lang=en

In 1134 Diederik van de Elzas (= Thierry d'Alsace"), Count of Flanders, commissioned to erect a chapel next to the his residence "Oud Steen" (now the town hall of Bruges). The chapel was dedicated to Saint Basil the Great. The basilica consisted of a lower and upper chapel, as a second chapel was erected on top of the Saint Basil chapel. Diederik joined the Second Crusade in 1147 and - according to the tradition - returned to Bruges with the relic of the "Holy Blood", allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea. So during the first half of the 13th century, the name of the upper chapel was changed to the Chapel of the Holy Blood. This (upper) chapel got severely damaged after the French Revolution and got rebuilt and renovated during the 19th century, giving it a very "neo-Gothic" touch. As the phial, containing the Holy Blood is on display here, the chapel was overcrowded by people standing in line to see and venerate the relic. Seen next to the screen is an "Umbraculum" - a yellow/red umbrella. A symbol bestowed by Pope Pius XI when he elevated the church to the rank of a "Basilica Minor" in 1923. www.holyblood.com/?lang=en

In 1134 Diederik van de Elzas (= Thierry d'Alsace"), Count of Flanders, commissioned to erect a chapel next to the his residence "Oud Steen" (now the town hall of Bruges). This Romanesque chapel, dedicated to Saint Basil the Great, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, is seen here. The basilica consisted of a lower and upper chapel, as a second chapel was erected on this one. Diederik joined the Second Crusade in 1147 and - according to the tradition - returned to Bruges with the relic of the "Holy Blood", allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea. So during the first half of the 13th century, the name of the upper chapel was changed to the Chapel of the Holy Blood.

In 1134 Diederik van de Elzas (= Thierry d'Alsace"), Count of Flanders, commissioned to erect a chapel next to the his residence "Oud Steen" (now the town hall of Bruges). This Romanesque chapel, dedicated to Saint Basil the Great, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, is seen here. The basilica consisted of a lower and upper chapel, as a second chapel was erected on this one. Diederik joined the Second Crusade in 1147 and - according to the tradition - returned to Bruges with the relic of the "Holy Blood", allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea. So during the first half of the 13th century, the name of the upper chapel was changed to the Chapel of the Holy Blood.

The town of Chaource (pop. 1100) is known for the Chaource cheese and the church dedicated to Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The choir was part of a church built within the 14th century, but from 1531 on the old nave got teared down and was replaced by nave and aisles seen here. Steps lead down to the "Chapelle du Sépulcre", where this entombment is placed. The "mise au tombeau" was created by an unidentified sculptor, known under the name "Maitre de Chaource" around 1515. Scholars are still discussing the identity of the Master, but - just like the much older "Maître de Cabestany" -, the name may stand for a studio or a workshop. There are more than a hundred of carvings in this typical, very realistic style in the Champagne area, attributed to him. Fltr: Nicodemus, Virgin Mary, Saint John, Mary Salome, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas and Joseph of Arimathea.