Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Griffin

Foligno was an Umbrian settlement, taken over by the Romans in 295 BC and named "Fulginiae". After the fall of the Roman Empire it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto. In 881 it got sacked and looted by Saracens, in 915 and again in 924 it was ruined by Magyar troops. The survivers decided to move close to the "Civitas Sancti Feliciani", a strongly fortified church where Bishop and martyr Feliciano was buried. Thanks to Barbarossa it gained the status of free city in 1165. Siding first with the Guelph party, Foligno became Ghibelline later and was a rival of Perugia. Foligno changed hands often during the wars of the 13th century. From the the 14th century on the city flourished, controlling large territory. Foligno was part of the Papal States until 1860 (with only two short exceptions). Foligno has suffered from a major earthquake in 1997, some traces can still be found. The "Cattedrale di San Feliciano" was built on the site of an earlier basilica ("Civitas Sancti Feliciani") 1133-1201. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno. The cathedral has two façades, the principal façade, facing the Piazza Grande, and the secondary façade facing the Piazza della Repubblica. This is a detail of the secondary façade, that has an elaborate portal. It is the work of the master sculptors and architects Rodolfo and Binello from 1201.

On top of the Cathedral´s apse is a replica of this sculpture. This is the original "Pisa Griffin". It is in Pisa since medieval times. It is of Islamic origin. It is 1.07m high - and the largest medieval Islamic metal sculpture known. It was probably casted in Spain (Al-Andaluz) within the 11th century. There is even an Islamic inscription in Kufic letters around the griffin´s breast. The griffin was probably a trophy piece, brought to Pisa during the many wars against the Saracens during the 11th century.

Moradillo de Sedano is a small hamlet, about 50kms north of Burgos. The "Iglesia de San Esteban" was built on a little hill. Following an inscription, the church was completed in 1188. The church has been enlarged during the 14th century, when a Gothic apse was added. A recently added porch protects the southern portal. Here are the tympanum and the archivolts. Christ (Pantocrator) is seated in the center of an oval mandorla on a sculptured throne (lions). Around him are four angels holding the evangelists´ symbols, flanked by St. Peter and St. Paul. Around the two halfs of the mandorla runs an inscription, that reads "vicit leo de tribu iuda, radix David, alelluia". There are three archivolts. The outer one has floral patterns, the middle one a mixture of mythical beasts and biblical scenes, while the inner one is populated by the 24 crowned Elders of the Apocalypse. There are twelve on either sides plus one angel in the center. The center of the middle archivolt depicts from left to right: Massacre of the Innocents, Annunciation, Visitation, Massacre, Centaur/Sagittarius, Samson, Warrior, Griffin, Massacre, Flight into Egypt.

Moradillo de Sedano is a small hamlet, about 50kms north of Burgos. The "Iglesia de San Esteban" was built on a little hill. Following an inscription, the church was completed in 1188. The church has been enlarged during the 14th century, when a Gothic apse was added. A recently added porch protects the southern portal. Here are the tympanum and the archivolts. Christ (Pantocrator) is seated in the center of an oval mandorla on a sculptured throne (lions). Around him are four angels holding the evangelists´ symbols, flanked by St. Peter and St. Paul. Around the two halfs of the mandorla runs an inscription, that reads "vicit leo de tribu iuda, radix David, alelluia". There are three archivolts. The outer one has floral patterns, the middle one a mixture of mythical beasts and biblical scenes, while the inner one is populated by the 24 crowned Elders of the Apocalypse. There are twelve on either sides plus one angel in the center. The center of the middle archivolt depicts from left to right: Massacre of the Innocents, Annunciation, Visitation, Massacre, Centaur/Sagittarius, Samson, Warrior, Griffin, Massacre, Flight into Egypt

Some Abbot Sentimir started to build an abbey here end of the 8th century. The abbey got looted and damaged by "heathens" (Marcel Durliat suspects Normans). From 981 on it was rebuilt by order of King Lothair of France, son of Louis IV of France (aka "Transmarinus"). The abbey slipped under the protection of the Counts of Roussillon and later of the Kings of Aragon. The church was enlarged and re-consecrated in 1153. Since 1088 the abbey was connected to Cluny in Burgundy. The abbey existed upto the French Revolution. The abbey church serves as a parish church "Saint Michel" since 1846. The facade of the fromer abbey church has a white marble lintel over doors of the former abbey church depicting a theophany. For Doyen Marcel Durliat, author of "Roussilion roman", this relief marks the begin of Romanesque sculpturing within the Roussilion. Thanks to an inscription on that lintel (see previous uploads) it is known, that it was carved in 1019. The interior is decorated with a couple of Baroque carvings, but there are Romanesque ones as well. This damaged capital (griffins) now supports the stoup, near the entrance doors. This is the only capital of this kind in Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines. The artist used the same material and worked in the same style, like the capitals in Serrabone, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa and Villefranche-de-Conflent are carved in. It may come from the same workshop. P.S. Just read, that this capital MAY come from the cloister of the former abbey St-André-de-Sorède, just 4kms east.