Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: cattle

Restenneth Priory was founded by Jedburgh Abbey, with the patronage of King Malcolm IV of Scotland, in 1153. Archaeological evidence strongly indicates that there was a monastery at Restenneth from very early times. There is also speculation that Restenneth may even have been the Pictish church dedicated to St Peter (mentioned in Bede) built in 710 for Nechtán mac Der Ilei, King of the Picts. Augustinian Restenneth was always a small priory. In 1501 there were only two canons and an annual income of £120. The priory was, turned into a secular lordship for Thomas Erskine, Viscount Fentoun, in 1606. 'Cloned cattle' in the foreground - see previous upl.

I got a bit spooked when I saw this herd of cows. Then I remembered Dolly the sheep. The first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell. Dolly was cloned by staff at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. Could it be, that in a large scale strange looking cattle is cloned meanwhile too.

There are two neolithic tombs at this site. The southern tomb is the more complete; it has a capstone some 4 by 3 m, supported by three stout upright stones at the south end and by a single more slender stone at the north. The northern tomb is considerably damaged with two remaining uprights at the north end. The capstone has fallen and is leaning against them. It is unclear whether these chambers, which are only a few metres apart, were part of the same structure or were independent. It may have been, that at one time, both chambers were buried under a single mound.

There are two neolithic tombs at this site. The southern tomb is the more complete; it has a capstone some 4 by 3 m, supported by three stout upright stones at the south end and by a single more slender stone at the north. The northern tomb is considerably damaged with two remaining uprights at the north end. The capstone has fallen and is leaning against them. It is unclear whether these chambers, which are only a few metres apart, were part of the same structure or were independent. It may have been, that at one time, both chambers were buried under a single mound. Today the monuments are well protected by the cattle

Barrosão or (smaller) Cachena is a breed of cattle from Portugal and Galicia. They are probably variants of the same race. They are light to dark brown in colour. The broad and long horns are lyre-shaped. The cattle were originally bred in the district of Vila Real and later exported to Galicia (Spain). They may be gentle and peaceful, but they look quite dangerous.

Barrosão or (smaller) Cachena is a breed of cattle from Portugal and Galicia. They are probably variants of the same race. They are light to dark brown in colour. The broad and long horns are lyre-shaped. The cattle were originally bred in the district of Vila Real and later exported to Galicia (Spain). They may be gentle and peaceful, but they look quite dangerous.

A hermitage was founded here by Géraud de Salles, a friend of Robert de Arbrissel, the of the Cistercian abbey of Fontevrault. In 1119 the hermitage was made an abbey, connected to the Abbaye de Pontigny. The Abbaye de Cîteaux ceded twelve monks to Cadouin for the first settlement of the monastery. Around 1200 the monastery came into possession of the "Saint-Suaire de Cadouin". This was believed to be the facecloth from the tomb of Christ, said to have been brought from Antioch by a priest after the first crusade. This relic made the abbey an important place of pilgrimage on the way to Santiago and brought it great prestige and wealth. Even Louis IX of France ("St. Louis"), Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart") and Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint") visited Cadouin to see the relic. The war of the 14th century let the pilgrimage come to an end and let the abbey decline. In 1357 the abbey was ruined and only two monks stayed to guard the shroud, that was transferred to Toulouse in 1392. This transport of shroud to Toulouse deprived the abbey of donations. The shroud returned and with the strong support of the French Kings, the abbey recovered after 1455. Thanks to royal protection, the cloister was rebuilt in an extravagant way. Though the authenticity of the shroud was attested in 1644, the abbey did never fully recover after the Wars of Religions. During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and got looted. In 1793 the abbey, apart from the church, was sold as a national property. The mayor of Cadouin hid the shroud during the Revolution until it was returned to worship in 1797. It was the Bishop of Perigueux in the mid 19th century, who "relaunched" the pilgrimage, that prospered again up to 1934. That year, a historian dated the shroud thanks to the presence of decorative bands decorated with a text. An inscription was found in Kufic style, opened by the "fatiha", the Islamic profession of faith, the text then indicates that the veil was woven at the time of Al-Musta'li, the caliph of Fatimid Egypt, at the end of the 11th century. This bovine head has a kind of modern style.

Charolais cattle are a very common sight in France. Here is a small herd resting in the sun. They are named after the area around the village Charolles in Burgundy, where even a "Maison du Charolais" is located. www.maison-charolais.com/en/index.html

I had been in Naturns twice before. The first time was in March, when the chapel and the museum were still closed (winter!), the second time was some years later in May on a monday... So this time, I could see the frescoes inside the chapel, that is known here since around 650. Some walls of the nave survived, when the church underwent a major reconstruction within the 10th and 11th century. During the restoration in 1923 early medieval wall (pre-Carolingian) paintings were discovered under plaster and Gothic murals. St. Prokulus was Bishop of Verona within the 4th century. The legend tells, that during the Diocletian persecution had to flee from the city. He was the patron saint for live stock, so it is no surprise to see so much cattle here (sometimes reffered to as "Procession of Cattle"). To the very right is a (herding) dog.