Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: midwife

The enigmatic church Notre-Dame de Vals towers over the tiny village of Vals (pop 90). The church, that is partly "troglodyte", carved into the giant rock, has three levels. The oldest part, called "the crypt", probably dates to the 9th or 10th century. Most surprising here are frescoes, discovered under several layers of plaster in 1952. They are dated to around 1100/1120 and meanwhile got restaurated. A closer look onto the "First Bath". The midwives (nimbus!) flank the vessel, that reminds on a baptismal font. Young Jesus (cross-nimbus, red (?) hair) does not really look like a newborn baby. The scene reminds me on - Byzantine icons from Italy. Ravenna maybe. Peter Hubert´s interesting article on the iconography of the Nativity and the First Bath: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/nativity_of_christ.pdf

The enigmatic church Notre-Dame de Vals towers over the tiny village of Vals (pop 90). The church, that is partly "troglodyte", carved into the giant rock, has three levels. The oldest part, called "the crypt", probably dates to the 9th or 10th century. Most surprising here are frescoes, discovered under several layers of plaster in 1952. They are dated to around 1100/1120 and meanwhile got restaurated. The Virgin reclined on a bed under an ornamented blanket. Below is the "First Bath". The midwives (nimbus) flank the vessel. Young Jesus does not really look like a newborn baby. The scene reminds me on - Byzantine icons from Italy. Ravenna maybe. Peter Hubert´s interesting article on the iconography of the Nativity and the First Bath: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/nativity_of_christ.pdf

A settlement existed here already in Bronze age, pre-Roman times the Umbrian people had a town here, named Ikuvium. After the Roman conquest the town gained importance. The Roman theatre here is the second-largest surviving in the world. Gubbio became very powerful in the Middle Ages, when Gubbio sent 1000 knights to fight in the First Crusade. Later the city was engaged in wars against the surrounding towns of Umbria. San Francesco is located in the lower town of Gubbio. The Gothic style church was built by 1256. St. Francis of Assisi, who was closely associated with Gubbio, supposedly was once housed in a room adjacent to the church. San Francesco may be work of Benedictian monk Fra Bevignate, who engineered the aqueduct supplying water to the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia. Ottaviano Nelli created the frescoes of the left apse 1410-1415. "Mary in childbed", the two midwives prepare Jesus´ "First Bath".

On the ruins of a older basilica begann, just next to the Baptistère Saint-Jean the construction of large Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in 1162. The building, the new the seat of the Archbishop of Poitiers, was greatly funded by Henry II of England (aka "Henri II Plantagenêt") and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The construction started as usual in the east and was completed with the western facade end of the 13th century. The cathedral is best known for the wonderful stained glass windows. The three windows around the choir date back to the 12th century and may be the oldest in France. The windows of the eastern part of the nave may be some decades younger. so they will be created in the early 13th century. I will upload some details of them. I am not sure about this. In case on the left is Mary in childbed, then below her is Jesus having his "First Bath". Supported by a midwife. In case to the right is a camel/dromedary, then the three men may be the Magi. But where is the Star of Bethlehem?

The "Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges" was erected as a replacement for a 11th-century structure. The construction started probably in the last quarter of the 12th century, around the same time, when the builders and bricklayers started in Chartres. The choir of the cathedral was in use by 1214, the nave was finished 1255. The cathedral was consecrated in 1324. The western facade was finished by 1270. It is very wide (42m), as the four side aisles and central nave each have their own portal. There are even two more (side-) portals, older ones, that were once part of the Romanesque cathedral that got demolished and was replaced end of the 12th century, by the structure seen today. Near the northern portal are some mutilated carvings. Seen here may be the "First Bath". While Mary rests on a bed, the midwives prepare the bath. Not a typical nativity-scene, as the bed and the fire place look very posh. It may well be, that the aura of luxury provoked the vandals to destroy the carving.