Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: goat

Mrizi i Zanave is an agritourism site that offers hotel, camping and a fabulous restaurant where all the food served is produced on site. In early May (low season) it was a little bit crowded already so we recommend you to book a table. It's really worth it. www.mrizizanave.al

Santa María de Nogueira de Miño is a Romanesque church from the second half of the 12th century. The tower and façade were renovated in the 18th century. In 2012, wall paintings from the period between 1560 and 1570 were discovered, which have since been restored. They are attributed to the so-called ‘Mestre de Nogueira.

The Basilica of San Prudencio is located in Armentia on the southwestern outskirts of Vitoria-Gasteiz. According to legend, Saint Prudentius was born here in the 6th century. In the 9th century, Armentia was a bishopric until it was transferred to Calahorra in 1087. The Basilica of San Prudencio then became the collegiate church of a canon's monastery, which existed until 1498. It was then that the canons gave up San Prudencio to settle in Vitoria. The current church of San Prudencio was built towards the end of the 12th century. Between 1773 and 1776 the church underwent major changes. The south facade was demolished and the porch was built. Parts of the church's original sculptural decoration were embedded in the walls of this south porch. A very musical goat playing the harp

The fortified town of Stendal was founded by the first Brandenburg Margrave Albert the Bear and granted Magdeburg rights about 1160. A deed issued by Emperor Heinrich II in 1022, in which the village appears among the possessions of the Michaeliskloster in Hildesheim, is a 12th-century forgery. Stendal quickly prospered as a center of commerce and trade. The parish of St. Jacobi was founded in the 12th century. The construction of a Franciscan monastery began in 1230. In the 13th century, the Stendal Seafarers' Guild was formed, which traded its own ships in the Baltic and North Sea areas. The oldest documented mention of the church of St. Marien dates back to 1283. Stendal received city walls around 1300 and in 1338 a Latin school was built. The local merchants joined the Hanseatic League in 1358 and purchased the privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369. Just like in neighboring Tangermünde, the citizens of Stendal rebelled against the beer tax in 1488. - In 1188, Margrave Otto II and his brother Heinrich von Gardelegen, both sons of the Ascanian Otto I, founded a collegiate monastery in Stendal. The chapter consisted of twelve secular canons. It was independent of the bishop, was directly subordinate to the pope, and was, therefore, an important spiritual center in the Altmark area. The canons had church patronage over all Stendal parish churches, as well as numerous churches in the surrounding villages. Around the same time, the construction of the first collegiate church is started. It was a three-nave basilica with a transept and choir apse, similar to the monastery church of Jerichow. Of this first building, the lower part of the west facade is preserved, below the two early Gothic towers. The present building was erected from 1423 onwards. Towards the middle of the 15th century, the new church was probably largely completed. It is a three-nave, four-bay hall church with a transept and nave choir. The west building from the second quarter of the 13th century was taken over from the foundation building. The top floor of the towers dates from the 15th century and is crowned by pointed helmets. The transept has a richly decorated stepped gable on the north side. - Seeing the misericords makes it obvious, that the canons had a sense of humor.

Payerne Priory (= Peterlingen), a former Cluniac monastery, was founded around 962 by Empress Adelheid as the burial place of her mother Queen Berta of Burgundy. It was annexed to the reform abbey of Cluny in 962 as one of the first daughter monasteries. It was richly endowed by the kings of Burgundy and the German emperors and had extensive landholdings In 1033, Conrad II was crowned King of Burgundy in Peterlingen. The priory was first directly managed by the abbots from Cluny, but starting in 1050 the local prior led the monastery with increasing independence. Saint Ulrich of Zell, was prior here in the later 11th century. He later founded two Cluniac monasteries in the Black Forest. In 1444, the antipope Felix V raised the priory to an abbey. This elevation brought no benefits to the monastery. The Reformation and the weakening of Savoy's power led to the dissolution of the monastery. After the Bernese conquest of Vaud, some of the buildings were demolished. The former abbey church of Notre Dame is an example of Cluniac architecture and an important Romanesque church building. The current construction was started in the 11th century by Abbot Odilo of Cluny on the site of the previous 10th-century church. Parts of the previous building, including the archaic capitals, were included in the new church. After the Reformation, the church was profaned and served in the 17th century as a bell foundry, in the 18th century as a granary, and later also as a prison and barracks. Since 1926 a careful restoration was carried out. Shake hands with a goat?

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally, Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent on the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so-long (Byzantine) Orthodox Christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral, seen in the center, was erected over the ruins of a Paleochristian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 meters long by 25 meters wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had returned to Otranto to see the unbelievable, breathtaking mosaic again. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometers south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated in many languages. I followed his theories. A goat As I have uploaded so many photos taken in Otranto already, I will upload now only a few. If you want to see more click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333378

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally, Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent on the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so-long (Byzantine) Orthodox Christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral, seen in the center, was erected over the ruins of a Paleochristian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 meters long by 25 meters wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had returned to Otranto to see the unbelievable, breathtaking mosaic again. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometers south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated in many languages. I followed his theories. As the church is a parish church, there are benches placed on the mosaic floor. Next to Abel - King Artus is riding a goat. The Arthurian cycle is part of the "Matter of Britain", which uses Celtic narrative material that became popular in the mid-12th century. Chrétien de Troyes (1135-1188) and Robert Wace (1110-1074) wrote novels about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Around the same time, more than 2000 km south of England, this work of art was created. As I have uploaded so many photos taken in Otranto already, I will upload now only a few. If you want to see more click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333378

Settlers, who did trade with Greece, lived here already during the Bronze Age. After the Punic Wars, it became a major center of Roman naval power and maritime trade. After the decline of the Roman Empire Brindisi was conquered by Ostrogoths, and reconquered by the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. In 674 it was destroyed by the Lombards led by Romuald I of Benevento, It was rebuilt and within the 9th century. It was under the Saracen rule from 836 to 868, when it was retaken by the Byzantines. In 1070, it was conquered by the Normans, led by Robert Guiskard. Brindisi flourished under the Staufer and developed into a privileged port for the Holy Land during the period of the Crusades. It was an Episcopal See and a new cathedral was constructed, in which the wedding of Norman Prince Roger III of Sicily and Irene Angelina, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos took place. Emperor Frederick II and Isabella of Brienne embarked from the port of Brindisi in 1228 for the Sixth Crusade. The round-shaped church was built by the Templars on their return from the Holy Land in 11C. Traditions know, that it was erected at the behest of Norman prince Bohemond. It recalls the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This was a place of pilgrimage, controlled by the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulcher. In fact, for those who arrived, the building was an advance of that of Jerusalem while for those who returned, a memory. In 1489 Pope Innocent VIII declared the Order of Canons of the Holy Sepulcher to be extinct and decreed that its assets be transferred to the Order of the Hospital of San Giovanni in Jerusalem and Rhodes. In 1761 an earthquake destroyed most of Brindisi, the Church of San Giovanni al Sepolcro did not collapse but suffered considerable damage. This led to a long decay and the loss of 80% of the frescoed surface, until the restoration in the mid-nineteenth century which led it to serve as the temporary seat of the Civic Museum from 1850 to 1955. Excavations inside the building found ancient remains from the Roman era, including the floor of a Roman domus. The portal of the rotunda church is decorated with fine stone carvings. I have already uploaded many photos taken in Brindisi during previous visits, so I will only upload a few. If you want to see more, click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333376

Slavic Obodrites lived in the area, where Wismar is now, until the end of the 12th century. The exact date of the city's foundation is not clear, it had civic rights already in 1229 when migrants from Holstein and Westphalia settled here. The "Lübsches Stadtrecht" (town law) was confirmed in 1266. In 1259 Wismar joined a defensive agreement with Lübeck and Rostock, in order to counter the numerous Baltic pirates. Subsequently, more cities would agree to cooperate as commerce and trade were increasingly coordinated and regulated. These policies would provide the basis for the development of the "Hanseatic League". By the 13th and 14th centuries, Wismar had grown into a flourishing Hanseatic trading hub. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War, Sweden conquered the city, and the Swedish Crown received in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Swedish rule over Wismar ended de facto in 1803 when Sweden pledged the city to the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin for 99 years. Formally, Wismar reverted to Germany in 1903 and Sweden waived its right to redeem the pledge. Wismar is a typical representative of the Hanseatic League with its city-wide Brick Gothic structures and gabled patrician houses and has alongside the historical old town of Stralsund been declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar". The Nicolaikirche (Church St. Nicholas) was built from 1381 until 1487 as a church for sailors and fishermen. St. Nicholas is a fine testaments to mediaeval brick architecture in northern Germany. In 1381, the city council commissioned the master mason Heinrich von Bremen to complete the choir. The consecration of the high altar is documented for 1403. Heinrich von Bremen continued to work until 1415. In 1434 work was carried out on the north aisle and later the south aisle. Under the direction of Peter Stolp and Hermann von Münster in 1459, the work was completed to such an extent that the church could be consecrated. From 1485 to 1487, Hans Mertens built the two upper storeys of the tower, and the spire was added in 1508. In December 1703, a storm destroyed the spire. Its parts smashed through the roof and the vaults of the nave. Many pieces of the interior furnishings were destroyed. Afterwards, the tower received a transverse gable roof and the nave a flat ceiling. The renovation of the furnishings lasted until the second half of the 18th century. It was not until 1867 that a vault was erected again. The air raids during the Second World War caused only minor damage to the church. After the Second World War, the Nikolaikirche was the least damaged of all the large churches in Wismar. Many works of art had been stored away and thus survived the war, but the churches lay in ruins and the important Marienkirche was later blown up. A close look at these carvings on the choir stalls. Below right (not as a rider and no halo) St. Martin (??) cutting his cloak. At his feet a very small beggar kneeling on prostheses. On the right, a large monkey trying to climb the tree. At the foot of the tree a small monkey and two birds. Above right on the tree on the left a goat and on the right a monkey or a woodwose with a club.

Bari was an early settlement and passed under Roman rule in the 3rd century BC. It developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade. The first bishop of Bari was Gervasius who is known from the Council of Sardica in 347. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the town was devasted and taken by Alaric´s Visigothic troops, then was under Lombardian rule, before the Byzantines took over. In 755 it was conquered by Pepin the Short (Charlemagne´s father) and from 847 on it was an Islamic Emirate. The Byzantine fleet returned in 871 and since 885 Bari ws the residence of the local Byzantine governor. Following a three-year siege, Bari was captured by Robert Guiscard in 1071. After the relics of Saint Nicholas, which were surreptitiously brought from Myra in Lycia (Byzantine territory), arrived in Bari, the Basilica di San Nicola was founded in 1087. This attracted pilgrims, whose encouragement and care became central to the economy of Bari. Pope Urban II consecrated the Basilica in 1089. In 1096 a crusader army embarked in the port of Bari for the First Crusade. After the murder of archbishop Griso in 1117 a civil war broke our and the control was seized by Grimoald Alferanites, a native Lombard, in opposition to the Normans. He later did homage to Roger II of Sicily, but rebelled and was defeated in 1132. The Castello Normanno-Svevo (aka "Castello di Bari") was probably built around 1132 by Norman King Roger II. When in 1155 the Baresi rebelled against the Normans, the castle got destroyed, so as a retaliatory action, William I of Sicily (aka William the Wicked") had the city destroyed except for the cathedral and the Basilica of St. Nicola. Bari recovered and had its heydays under Frederick II. When he returned from his crusade after 1229, the city gates were locked so he had to use force to gain entry. Therefore, he probably had the fort built in 1233 to keep the city in check. On the other hand, he granted the city generous trade privileges and left it the leading role in the region. - The construction of the "Cattedrale di San Sabino" (aka "Bari Cathedral" started around 1170 on. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto. It is dedicated to Saint Sabinus, a bishop of Canosa, whose relics were brought here in the 9th century. It was erected on the site of the ruins of the Imperial Byzantine cathedral, destroyed in 1156 by William I of Sicily with the rest of the city. For the reconstruction of the cathedral materials from the preceding church and other destroyed buildings got reused. During the 18th century the façade, the nave and aisles and the crypt were refurbished in Baroque style. The building later underwent a series of refurbishments, demolitions and extensions. The apse window is a masterpiece of the Apulian Romanesque style of the late 12th century. Below the window sill is a relief depicting two peacocks within tendrils. To the left end right, supporting the columns are two elephants. They are rather small. Pina Belli D'Elia ("Puglia Romanica") compares them to chess pieces. On top of the columns are two monsters (a male and a female) with human faces, wings, claws and snake tails. They support the outer archivolt. On top of this is another monster that may be a beheaded sphinx holding its head, mouth wide open. The smaller inner archivolts are masterly carved and are populated with lots of animals and mythical creatures floating in vines, like this monkey, riding a goat.

Bari was an early settlement and passed under Roman rule in the 3rd century BC. It developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade. The first bishop of Bari was Gervasius who is known from the Council of Sardica in 347. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the town was devasted and taken by Alaric´s Visigothic troops, then was under Lombardian rule, before the Byzantines took over. In 755 it was conquered by Pepin the Short (Charlemagne´s father) and from 847 on it was an Islamic Emirate. The Byzantine fleet returned in 871 and since 885 Bari ws the residence of the local Byzantine governor. Following a three-year siege, Bari was captured by Robert Guiscard in 1071. After the relics of Saint Nicholas, which were surreptitiously brought from Myra in Lycia (Byzantine territory), arrived in Bari, the Basilica di San Nicola was founded in 1087. This attracted pilgrims, whose encouragement and care became central to the economy of Bari. Pope Urban II consecrated the Basilica in 1089. In 1096 a crusader army embarked in the port of Bari for the First Crusade. After the murder of archbishop Griso in 1117 a civil war broke our and the control was seized by Grimoald Alferanites, a native Lombard, in opposition to the Normans. He later did homage to Roger II of Sicily, but rebelled and was defeated in 1132. In 1155 the city's inhabitants rebelled again against the Normans and negotiated with the Byzantines. As a retaliatory action, William I of Sicily (aka William the Wicked") had the city destroyed except for the cathedral and the Basilica of St. Nicola in the following year. Bari recovered and had it´s heydays under Frederick II. When he returned from his crusade after 1229, the city gates were locked so he had to use force to gain entry. Therefore, he probably had the fort built in 1233 to keep the city in check. On the other hand, he granted the city generous trade privileges and left it the leading role in the region. This church, originally dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, was erected in 1091. It was formed by three aisles, but in the second half of the twelfth century, the church was brought to the current level and a single aisle remained. 1957 the church was enthrusted to the Byzantine Catholic community and dedicated to the Father of the Eastern Church Saint John Chrysostom. This large carving may have been in another church before it was placed here. Its origin is unknown. A lion and a gryphon, divided by a plant, face each other. They bring down a goat and a boar, which are demonic symbols. The details (fur, feathers..) perfectly carved by the probably Byzantine artist.

There are two theories around the founding of this church. One connects it to the Lords of Montauroux, who owned the area, the other connects it to the influence of Norman or Breton monks, claiming the 12th/13th century church was built by monks from Brittany. This would explain, why the near chapel (see prev. uploads) was dedicated to (Breton) Saint Méen. In 1923, when restoration work carried out in the south side chapel, fresco paintings were found. Under the roof are some nice corbels. Here a goat and an ox peek down to the visitor standing in the sun.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. - The "Valle dei Templi", just south of Agrigento, is where the Greek had founded the polis "Akragas" in 532 BC. It developed into one of the most important ancient Greek cities in Sicily. This importance is still visible in a number of monumental temples, built in the 5th century BC along the southern wall of the city. Over centuries most buildings decayed and were often used as a quarry. Excavation and restoration began mid of the 18th century when general interest in Greek antiquity arouse. So the ancient sites were attracting attention - and visitors. Today the Archeological Park extends over 1300 hectares and is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 - and is the home of some Girgentana goats. These goats are native to northern Afghanistan and Balochistan. According to some authors, these goats were imported to Sicily by the Greeks already (others attribute the import to the Arabs). Its name derives from "Girgenti", once the name of Agrigento.

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. When I had found San Quilico (St. Cyr) I realized, that the distance to Santa Maria was just about 500 metres. And they both looked very similar seen from this point of view. They were certainly built at the same time within the 13th century. Oral tradition knows, that the chapels were built by a father (San Quilico) and his son (Santa Maria). The family was clearly influenced by the Pisan style. When I had found San Quilico (St. Cyr) I realized, that the distance to Santa Maria was just about 500 metres. And they both looked very similar seen from this point of view. They were certainly built at the same time within the 13th century. Oral tradition knows, that the chapels were built by a father (San Quilico) and his son (Santa Maria). The family was clearly influenced by the Pisan style. Other than the sober and unpretentious Santa Maria San Quilico is richly adorned with many carvings. Animal heads.

A settlement has existed here already before Romans and Gauls settled here, the town Belleville was actually founded by the House of Beaujeu. Humbert III de Beaujeu (+ 1194), the 8th Sir de Beaujeu, had a city wall built and founded a commanderie that in 1158 was converted into a Augustinian priory and 6 years later became an abbey. The church, that now serves the parish is the only remaining structure of this abbey. The construction of the large church (63m long) started in 1168. It was completed only 11 years later and was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin in 1179. The nave (and the choir) seem already early Gothic in some parts. The church was the burial site for the House of Beaujeu. Though much of the interior got destroyed durig the Wars of the Religions, there are still nice (and well restored) Romanesque carvings and capitals here. This goat is one of them. It only lost one horn over the centuries.

The Murbach Abbey was founded 727 by Eberhard d'Eguisheim, nephew of St. Odile (of Alsace) and Saint Pirmin, abbot of Mittelzell Abbey at Reichenau Island (Lake Constance), who established the "Regula Benedicti" here. The Murbach Abbey was founded 727 by Eberhard d'Eguisheim, nephew of St. Odile (of Alsace) and Saint Pirmin, abbot of Mittelzell Abbey at Reichenau Island (Lake Constance), who established the "Regula Benedicti" here. The abbey prospered, got pretty wealthy and gained some political importance. Even Charlemagne hold the title of a laic "abbot of Murbach for three years. This good times ended in 936, when the Hungarians invaded the Alsace and destroyed the abbey. The abbey recovered over the next centuries, but ended, after the benedictian rule was given up, as a collegiate for a nobel clientel in the 18th century, existing up to the French Revolution. The abbey-church, constructed around 1150 got consecrated 1216 and dedicated to Saint Leger. The three original naves got knocked down 1738, to give room for a (then very trendy) baroque church, that never got built. Since 1760 it serves as a parish church of the village, what did not prevent it from getting devasted by rioters during the French Revolution. So all still existing are the transept and the choir. There are many very artistic carvings. I uploaded photos of earlier visits, so now I´ll only add, what was left out so far. This is the second mystic strange carving on the southern tower, about the relationship between humans and animals. This one is even more mysterious. Two goats and a hanged man. The beam of the gallow is rather long, probably this was a "public gallow". A few of these gallows still exist. Here is one in Germany: www.flickr.com/photos/gummiteufelchen/3360089792/ The hands of the hanged man are obviously enchained behind his back, his neck is broken, the face is horiziontal. His life has definitely ended. Are the two goats on his sides trying to cut him off the gallow? Are they climbing up? Or are the two goats dancing and playing with the corpse? Or are the two goats delegates of the devil, who is very often connected to goats (and even often has goat feet). Then the goats are trying to carry the poor soul - to hell. "Hang down you head......poor boy you are bound to die"

Saint-Nazaire was erected in the 12th century. The church has a very elaborate southern portal (prev. upl.). The geometrical design of the archivolts is typical for the "style saintogne". Above the archivolts are some interesting corbels. Here is the very right corbel, depicting a person riding a goat (or bull?). Goat riders are common icon in the Auvergne, but not here.

Milan is the city capital of the Lombardy and the second most populous city in Italy after Rome. Known during Roman times as "Mediolanum" it was the place, where in 313 Constantine I and Licinius met and "signed" the "Edict of Milan", giving Christianity a legal status within the Roman empire. At the end of the Roman empire Milan was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, looted by the Huns in 452, and taken by the Ostrogoths in 539. Only 30 years later is belonged to the Kingdom of the Lombards, until in 774 Charlemagne defeated the Langobards and added Milan to the Carolingian empire. During Barbarossa´s (Frederik I) "Italian Campaigns" Milan was taken and destroyed to a great extent. The "Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio" is much older and was not destroyed by Barbarossa´s troops. It is one of the most ancient churches in Milan, built by St. Ambrose in 379–386, outside the city of Milan on the site of a cemetery, where the martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The first name of the church was "Basilica Martyrum". Ambrose, born into a noble family about 340 in (present-day) Trier (Germany), was governor of Liguria and Emilia for two years before he became the Bishop of Milan in 374 by popular acclamation. He was a staunch opponent of Arianism. Only very few traces of the first church can still be found, as in the centuries after its construction, the basilica underwent numerous restorations and reconstructions. The current Romanesque church, mostly built in brickwork, was begun around 1080. In 789, a Benedictine monastery was established here. The canons of the basilica, however, retained their own community. So two separate communities shared the basilica. In the 11th century, the canons adopted orders and became Canons Regular. From then on two separate monastic orders following different rules lived in the basilica. The canons were in the northern building, the cloister of the canons, while the monks were in the two southern buildings. The two towers symbolize the division in the basilica. The 9th century Torre dei Monaci ("Tower of the Monks") tower was used by the monks. However, the canons did not have a bell tower and were not allowed to ring bells until they finished the Canons' bell tower in the 12th Century. This tower got two additional levels in 1889. In 1943 the basilica got severely damaged by bombings. It took a decade to rebuilt and reconstruct the church. In front of the basilica is the atrium, where originally the catechumens gathered during the mass. As they were not yet baptized, they were not allowed to enter the basilica. When they were waiting here, they could contemplate about the evil monsters and strange animals, that populate the capitals and lintels all around. A herdsman protects his goats against the lions. He is a "Master of Beasts".