Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Book of Revelation

The "Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges" was erected as a replacement for an 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 cathedral covers a surface of 5,900 m². The nave is 15 metres wide and 37 metres high, the inner aisle is 21.3 metres high. There are no transepts, but two aisles on either side forming a double ambulatory around the choir. The cathedral retains many of its original stained-glass windows, which dates from about 1215. This window depicts the "Apocalypse" - the "Book of Revelation". The prophetic vision of John on the Isle of Patmos.

Avy is a small a village just about 5kms south of Pons. The parish church Notre-Dame d'Avy was built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, typical for the Saintonge. Severely damaged during the Hundred Years' War the church was rebuilt later in Gothic style. The western facade of Notre-Dame survived the times, only the left side got lost. This is the church I have visited most often of all small churches in the Saintonge - and was always impressed. I remember the day, when I counted the Elders of the Apocalypse (outer archivolt). Here are 36 Elders (the "Book of Revelation" only knows 24). Later I learned, that this number may have been a status symbol. In Saintes (Abbaye aux Dames) I found even 54 Elders. In Aulnay are 31 Elders.. All these Elders hold musical instruments. Here in Avy one of the Elders holds a bird! PETA has not noticed that so far.. I could not leave the Saintonge without having seen Avy again..

Mozac Abbey is one of the oldest monasteries in the Auvergne, dating back into Merovingian times. A legend tells that it was founded by Calminius (later Saint Calmin). He must have been pretty important and well off, as his name is connected to the foundations of three abbeys. He introduced the benedictian rules to the area, and brought (from Rome)a relic of Saint Peter and (from Agen) a relic of Saint Caprasius to Mozac. He got buried in the crypt of this church together with his wife Saint Namadie. Within the 9th century relics of Saint Austremonius, the first bishop of Clermont were transferred to Mozac, so already before Santiago de Compostella was on the map, this was a place of pilgrimage. In 1095 Mozac abbey got affiliated to Cluny, but was important enough, to have Hugue of Semur, nephew of Hugue of Cluny here as abbot. He was followed by Eustachius, brother of Petrus Venerabilis. Three churches could be traced here by archeologists, what can be seen today is "Mozac 3", a great church built within the first half of the 12th century. As most of "Mozac 3" got destroyed by a number earthquakes between 1437 and 1490. Actually only ruins can be seen. Apses, choir, ambulatory, radial chapels, transept and clerestorys were beyond repair, when the early reconstruction started - in gothic style. Most pillars and capitals of "Mozac 3" are still in place (in situ). Some of the carvings here are so "perfect", that they seem to be much younger, even baroque, but all are - 12th century - romanesque. - This capital was found in 1983 during a reconstruction inside a wall. There are four angels at the corners. Between them sitting on the ground, four men. The angels try to close the men´s open mouths, by grabbing the noses and the jaws. All the men have fanfare horns as well as the angels. This is very cryptic, but it may be connected to the The Book of Revelation, chapter 7-1 "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." The face of one of the four angels. You have seen the haircut on the preceding photo. This is the second hairstyle, that is so typical for the carvings in Mozac.

Mozac Abbey is one of the oldest monasteries in the Auvergne, dating back into Merovingian times. A legend tells that it was founded by Calminius (later Saint Calmin). He must have been pretty important and well off, as his name is connected to the foundations of three abbeys. He introduced the benedictian rules to the area, and brought (from Rome)a relic of Saint Peter and (from Agen) a relic of Saint Caprasius to Mozac. He got buried in the crypt of this church together with his wife Saint Namadie. Within the 9th century relics of Saint Austremonius, the first bishop of Clermont were transferred to Mozac, so already before Santiago de Compostella was on the map, this was a place of pilgrimage. In 1095 Mozac abbey got affiliated to Cluny, but was important enough, to have Hugue of Semur, nephew of Hugue of Cluny here as abbot. He was followed by Eustachius, brother of Petrus Venerabilis. Three churches could be traced here by archeologists, what can be seen today is "Mozac 3", a great church built within the first half of the 12th century. As most of "Mozac 3" got destroyed by a number earthquakes between 1437 and 1490. Actually only ruins can be seen. Apses, choir, ambulatory, radial chapels, transept and clerestorys were beyond repair, when the early reconstruction started - in gothic style. Most pillars and capitals of "Mozac 3" are still in place (in situ). Some of the carvings here are so "perfect", that they seem to be much younger, even baroque, but all are - 12th century - romanesque. - There are three capitals, that are not "in situ" any longer. They are placed on the ground, so the detailled carvings are easily visible. This capital was found in 1983 during a reconstruction inside a wall. There are four angels at the corners. Between them sitting on the ground, four men. The angels try to close the men´s open mouths, by grabbing the noses and the jaws. All the men have fanfare horns as well as the angels. This is very cryptic, but it may be connected to the The Book of Revelation, chapter 7-1 "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." At least there are four angels at the four corners, preventing four men to blow (the horns).

The abbey at Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire (originally known as Fleury Abbey) was founded on the banks of the Loire river mid 7th century. It is one of the oldest abbeys of the Benedictine rule in France. The story starts in 672, when some of its monks traveled to Montecassino (Italy), dug up the remains of St. Benedict of Nursia (+ 547) and his sister St. Scholastica and brought them home. After the relics had reached at Fleury Abbey it which was renamed Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire - and due to the relics became a major place of pilgrimage. Of course, this did not help when the Normans rowed up the Loire and burned the buildings of the monastery. But the convent recovered and rebuilt. A famous school and a scriptorium existed here in the late 10th century. The erection of the church started around 1071. When the church was consecrated in 1108, the long nave was not completed. The abbey thrived, but times got rougher. In 1562, the abbey was pillaged by Huguenots. The buildings were restored, but looted and destroyed again during the French Revolution. Saint-Benoît's monks left the abbey and so the history of the convent ended after more than 1100 years. The abbey church had escaped destruction and got restored in the 19th century. In 1944, the convent was refounded the abbey buildings were rebuilt by Benedictine monks after World War II. So the history of the convent was just interrupted for about 150 years. "Tour de Gauzlin", the massive porch tower seen here, is named for Abbot Gaucellin who commissioned it, around 1020. The tower serves as a porch for the west entrance, the upper level houses the Chapel of St. Michael, a feature that can be found in many westworks from that time. The tower even had a third level, that was was removed in the 16th century. This was done as a punishment to the convent after the monks had entered into a conflict with the church hierarchy. It may well be, that this tower, having three portals on each side, was build as a model of the "New Jerusalem", following the Book of Revelation. Revelation 21.12-14 "It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

A priory, dependent from the Abbaye Royale in Saint-Jean-d'Angély, existed here in the 12th century, the church Saint-Germain was erected end of that century. Today it serves the parish - and is in state of urgent repair. The walls of the western facade are cracked and are temporarily stabilized by a construction of wooden beams (previous uploads). The church is known for the southern portal, a Romanesque masterpiece. Some of the capitals on the sides were "reconstructed" end of the 19th century, but the archivolts are "untouched. Here is a more detailed shot. An Agnus Dei is in the center of the inner archivolt, the Elders of the Apocalypse are seated on an outer archivolt. Revelation 4:4 "Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads." For an unknown reason, within the Poitou, the number of 24 Elders did not seem adequate. In Varaize doomsday needed a little more staff. Here are 9 (two very weathered) of 37 Elders of the Apocalypse. Saint Pierre in Aulnay has 31, Notre-Dame in Avy has 36 and the Abbaye aux Dames in Saintes even 54 Elders.

A priory, dependent from the Abbaye Royale in Saint-Jean-d'Angély, existed here in the 12th century, the church Saint-Germain was erected end of that century. Today it serves the parish - and is in state of urgent repair. The walls of the western facade are cracked and are temporarily stabilized by a construction of wooden beams (previous uploads). The church is known for the southern portal, a Romanesque masterpiece. Some of the capitals on the sides were "reconstructed" end of the 19th century, but the archivolts are "untouched. Here is a more detailed shot. An Agnus Dei is in the center of the inner archivolt, the Elders of the Apocalypse are seated on an outer archivolt. Revelation 4:4 "Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads." For an unknown reason, within the Poitou, the number of 24 Elders did not seem adequate. Here doomsday needed a little more staff. Here are 37 Elders of the Apocalypse. Saint Pierre in Aulnay has 31, Notre-Dame in Avy has 36 and the Abbaye aux Dames in Saintes even 54 Elders.

The late afternoon sun shines on "Sainte-Croix", the church of the former "Abbatiale Sainte-Croix". The abbey was founded in Merovingian times just south of Bordeaux. The exact year is unknown, but it was mentioned already in 679. The abbey was destroyed by the Saracens around 730 and rebuilt at the end of the century . During the 9th century the Normans raided the area and the abbey got devastated again. Local nobility supported the rebuilding of the abbey by donations and privileges. The abbey church, built in eleventh/twelfth century, got renovated and rebuilt during the 19th century by Paul Abadie, later known as the architect of "Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre" and strongly influenced by Viollet-le-Duc. His works (eg Saint-Front, Périgueux, St. Pierre, Angoulême) are disputed today, as he "re-created" structures and added details. The archivolts over the central portal are examples of the specific Romanesque carving-style, typical for the Saintonge. Like in Saintes, Aulney and Avy the number of "Elders of the Apocalypse" is higher than 24, what is the number mentioned in the Book of Revelation.