Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: miser

Offenburg was first mentioned in 1148 and was declared a Free Imperial City by 1240. During the 9-Years-War the town suffered under the French occupation of Offenburg. In 1689 Offenburg was set on fire and completely destroyed except for the Capuchin monastery and two other houses. The "Offenburger Programm" which consisted of thirteen demands "in the name of the people of Baden", was put forward here on 12 September 1847. This was the first known demand for democracy in Germany, demanding basic and human rights as well as freedom of the press. It was one of the triggers that started the 1848-Revolution in Southern Germany. After the Catholic parish in Offenburg had grown to about 12.000 parishioners end of the 19th century, the planning for a second Catholic church started. The erection of the Neo-Romanesque Dreifaltigkeitskirche ("Holy Trinity"), designed by Johannes Schroth, started in 1904. It got consecrated already 2 years later. It is 60m long and has a capacity of 1.300. The church has very interesting capitals. Here are two "modernized" icons, that can often be found in medieval churches. To the left is an old "Miser", to the right a very young "Luxuria".

In Gallo-Roman times the Celtic people of the Vellavii had their capital, named Ruessio here. During the 6th century the capital was transferred to Anicium (= Le Puy), the last bishop here was Saint Paulianus. - Saint-Georges, located in the centre of Saint-Paulien, was built in the 11th - 12th centuries and got largely modified within the 16th century. The walls of Saint-Georges have a beautiful polychromy resulting from the combination of white, grey, black, beige, brown, pink and even mauve volcanic blocks. During my last visit, the church was locked. This time I was lucky! Following the information given here, this capital depicts a miser (avar) being tortured, but actually he is holding a book, not a moneybag.

Saint-Nazaire was erected in the 12th century. The single nave church has a very elaborate southern portal. The interior is pretty simple, the nave may have been vaulted once. There are still some nice capitals. Here is a miser, carrying his money bag. He is attacked by two horrible devils.

A church may have been here since Langobardic times, it is documented since 854, when it was already "pieve". In the 11th century the church got rebuilt with three naves and three apses. Some decades later a large narthex was added, to give shelter to the many pilgrims. Subsequently it got integrated into the church. Over the next centuries many enlargements and modifications were done. The bell-tower was added in 1302. Mid of the 18th century this was a Baroque church. Between 1927 and 1942 a major renovation was undertaken, reverting the church and the facade to its Romanesque elements. Many carvings are scattered over the facade, some of them are parts of a medieval pulpit, that was dismembered in the 18th century. What a horror!

The construction of the Cattedrale di San Giorgio began in the early 12th century, when the city was taken by Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa"). When the new cathedral was consecrated in 1135 it was not completed at all. It was - and still is - located in the center of the city. The lower part of the facade is Romanesque was probably built in the first half of the 11th century. The building process was continued a century later in Gothic style. A "renovation" of the Ferrara Cathedral done in the early 18th century resulted in a demolition. Only the facade and the outer walls survived. The the medieval interior and the apses, that once existed are lost. The portal is attributed to Master Niccolò (aka "Nicholaus"), who (or his workshop) worked as well in Verona (San Zeno) and Piacenza (Cathedral). The upper part of the narthex depicts the "Last Judgement", a popular theme (eg Conques, Autun, Moissac, Sangüesa) here is seen in a delicate style of transition from from Romanesque to Gothic. Souls rise from open graves. Above them Archangel Michael holds a scale doing the "Weighing of the Souls". A little devil tries to hold down the right side. The sinners leave -naked- to the right side, the good souls - nicely dressed to the left. Above all Christ in a mandorla, showing the "Five Holy Wounds". I have added the neighbouring carvings (in a larger scale). To the left the good souls are saved in the "Bosom of Abraham", to the right the poor souls are stuffed by evil devils into the "Mouth of Hell".

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the center of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessing church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously too small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" (here seen from east) is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". - A miser, money bag around his neck, gets devoured simultaneously (and symmetrically) by four devils. - I have uploaded many photos already taken during previous visits. So I will now add only a few.

The village Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, named after a bishop of the once existing diocese here,was just like neighbouring Valcabrère once part of a large Roman settlement, that may have had about 30.000 inhabitants. In the early 5th century the Vandals sacked the city, in 585 merovingian troops razed the site, that probably had the bishopric seat already at that time. Saint Bertrand of Comminges (1073–1123) restored and fortified the town. He commissioned the erection of the cathedral. Saint Bertrand´s tomb was a center of regional pilgrimage already before he got canonized around 1220. Pope Clement V, who had once been Bishop of this diocese, strongly promoted the pilgrimage, so that soon after the Romanesque church was to small for the many "pelerins". Between 1304 and 1352 the major part of old nave got demolished to make room for a new, larger Gothic nave. In 1586, during the Wars of Religion, the cathedral was looted and severely damaged by the Huguenot troops. It took the next centuries to restore and repair. Saint-Bertrand´s relics were hidden during the Huguenot raids and are meanwhile back in the cathedral. One of the capitals of the portal depicts this a miser, money bag around around his neck. He gets stuffed into the hellmouth by devils unsing long forks. Animals (an eagle (left), a dog (right)) have started to maul the miser. More infos can be found at the cathedral´s website: www.cathedrale-saint-bertrand.org/

The construction of the cathedral was ordered by King Ferdinand III of Castile and Mauricio, the Bishop of Burgos. Ferdinand had just married Barbarossa´s granddaughter Beatrice of Swabia (aka "Elisabeth of Swabia") and wanted a cathedral, reflecting his new role in the European power game. The former Romanesque cathedral got demolished and on July 20, 1221, the construction of the new Gothic started under the guidance of an unknown French architect. After nine years, the chevet was completed and the high altar was consecrated. Then the construction stopped for about 200 years. Attending the Council of Basel (aka "Council of Florence") in 1435 bishop (and diplomat) Alfonso de Cartagena saw the just completed, elegant towers of the Basel Minster. When he returned to Burgos he was accompanied by German architect Johannes von Köln (aka "Juan de Colonia"), who probably knew the blueprints of the towers, planned for the Cathedral of Cologne. Under his guidance the towers of the Cathedral were completed in open tracery. He was followed on the construction site by his son Simon de Colonia. The crossing tower collapsed in 1539, but got rebuilt, so that in 1567 the Cathedral was finally completed. The north transept portal, known as "Portada de la Coroneria", erected around 1240, is permanently locked since 1830. Over the centuries residents had entered the cathedral here and by using the opposite portal as an exit, had a nice short cut to the market. In the center of the tympanum is the Last Judgement (see previous upload). Here is a detail of the psychostasia. On the left stands Archangel Michael weighing the souls. To the right runs the road to hell, where devils are at work. A miser still has a large money bag around his neck. www.catedraldeburgos.es/

The Normans had raided the whole area in the 10th century, so Gournay-en-Bray was a fortified village, that burnt down with its church in 1174. A new church was built here, that in 1192 got consecrated. The "collégiale" was dedicated to St. Stephen ("Saint Etienne"). When the relics of Saint Hildevert, once Bishop of Meaux, were transferred to this church, dedication and name of the collegiate changed. The church was enlarged and remodeled a couple of times over the centuries. The walls of the nave, the aisles and the massive columns in between are unchanged. They date back to the 12th century Most of the capitals in Saint-Hildevert have geometric patterns and are very decorative, but some are very different. Here is one of them. On the side is a musician, playing a flute. IN the center a miser, holding his money bag. He is flanked by evil grinning persons.

When the church, dedicated to Saint Amans de Rodez, got erected within the 12th century, it was dependent from the abbey Saint-Martin in Tulle (20kms north). It is known, that Humbaud, bishop of Limoges, consecrated a church here in 1094, but at that time the structure cannot have been completed The portal of Saint-Chamant is extraordenary (for a village church). While the tympanum over the doors is undamaged, all capitals are damaged. After the French Revolution some small vandals used their hammers. A well dressed miser with a huge sack (full of gold and silver) badly adviced by two ugly envoys of the evil not to share his wealth with the skinny beggars, that flank him.

Saint-Marcel dominates the center of Lagrauliere like a castle. Built in the 12th century on older foundations the church underwent a couple of alterations, fortifications and renovations over the centuries. Once monks from the Cistercian Obazine Abbey (30kms south) lived in the top floors of the tower. Saint-Marcel dominates the center of Lagrauliere like a castle. Built in the 12th century on older foundations the church underwent a couple of alterations, fortifications and renovations over the centuries. Once monks from the Cistercian Obazine Abbey (30kms south) lived in the top floors of the tower. The Cistercians may not have been the first here, as despite Bernard of Clairvaux´s damnation of sculptural works, the Romanesque portal of Saint-Marcel is remarkable. This may be a proof of an earlier influence from some unknown Cluniac place. The right side of the portal is pretty weathered. A devil sits on the shoulders of a miser, who is identified by the moneybag around his neck. The devil is pulling the miser´s hair. To the right a person carrying a large fish. I have the impression, that large parts of the medieval carving are missing here. -- Thanks to Julianna Lees I know meanwhile that the right person is probably Tobias and the medicinal fish. Tobit 6:4 " The angel said to him, "“Grab the fish and hang on to it." So Tobias hung on to the fish and brought it up onto the dry ground."

Raoul de Bourges (aka "Saint Raoul"), archbishop of Bourges, son of the Count of Turenne founded an abbey on the banks of the Dordogne river in the 9th century with the help of monks from Solignac, where Raoul had started his clerical career. After feudal quarrels, the abbey Saint-Pierre joined the Cluniac movement in 1076 and soon after the erection of this church started. It was completed already mid 12th century. Though not situated at the busy pilgrim routes (eg "Via Podensis" runs about 60kms south) a large, typical "pilgrim church" was created here. It may well been, that the relics, that were on display here (Saint-Prime, Saint-Félicien, Sainte-Félicité) and the proximity to Rocamador (30kms southwest) motivated many pilgrims to do a detour. The abbey slipped into difficult times, when the number of pilgrims shrunk and feudal claims emerged again. The abbey and the city of Beaulieu suffered of the Wars of Religion. The Huguenots took over Beaulieu in 1569 and the monks had to flee. After the "Ligue Catholique" had reconquered the place, the monks returned and soon after the convent joined the Congregation of Saint Maur. The abbey existed upto the French revolution, when the last 6 monks had to leave. The abbey buildings got sold and demolished, while the church was taken over by the parish. The structure was in a ruined state at that time. The nave partly collapsed in 1808, but a difficult renovation undertaken end of the 19th century finally saved the church. Here is a detail of Saint-Pierre´s southern portal, that has a wonderful tympanum and pretty undamaged tympanum, created 1130/40 (see previous upload). These three carvings are older, rougher and may have been created for another place once. The rough reliefs do not really "fit" into the portal, they seem like spolia, glued onto the outside wall. I´m not sure about the left figure. Maybe a beggar, holding a bowl. In the center a miser with a moneybag. On the right a large Luxuria. She has a cousin in Moissac.

This church, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, was a real surprise to me. The single nave structure was probably erected within the 12th century. It was built in a "walking distance" off the pilgrim routes (like "San Pedro de Echano"), as the hamlet Artaiz is just about 10kms north of the "Camino Aragonés". San Martin will have been for sure a stopover for pilgrims, who had visited the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours, following the "Via Turonensis". The masterly composed and carved portal of Saint Martin is extraordinary in the specific iconography, that in parts may reflect the relations to the Islamic neighbours (Reconquista). Here is a script by German arthistorian Hedda Finke about this subject. art.unt.edu/medieval-symposium/presenter.php?year=2009&am... Between the seven corbels under the portal´s roof are six reliefs. This one depicts the parable of the "Rich Man and Lazarus". Luke 16:19-21 "There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores." I stumbled about a book by German author Meinolf Schumacher, about the "icon" of licking dogs in european literature. This may be interesting for German readers. Meinolf Schumacher, Ärzte mit der Zunge - Leckende Hunde in der europäischen Literatur The left corbel has the lady giving birth to a child (again). I am not sure about the figure to the right. For a while I saw a miser with a moneybag, or maybe even a coin- box. Then I found a theory, that he and the lady to the right should be seen as a couple. So the right corbel depicts the male part - and a phallus once was affixed, where we now see a hole.

Puente la Reina ( aka "Gares") was an important place in medieval times, as here the "Camino Aragonés" joined the "Camino Francés". The pilgrims having crossed the Pyrenees via the Somport met their collegues, who had used the Roncevaux Pass. A six-arched-bridge over the Rio Arga gave the name to the town. It was built within the 11th century, commissioned either by Doña Mayor, wife of Sancho III, or by Doña Estefanía, wife of García III of Navarra. The Iglesia del Crucifijo was erected just outside of the town, what explains the old name "Santa Maria de Hortis". It belonged to a convent of the Knights Hospitaller, who supported the pilgrims by operating "hopitals". The church was built within the 12th century, but an older structure had probably already a century ago. It got enlarged by a second nave later, when the number of pilgrims rose, as the Knights Hospitaller offered lodging. The South Portal of the church (previous upload) was probably completed early 14th century, when the church got enlarged. The outer archivolt is populated with animals, angels, humans - and devouring lions. Here is the head of a lion, devouring a miser. The miser´s huge moneybag, the symbol for his avarice, is (following the law of gravity) hanging out of the lion´s mouth.

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. There are two blind arches flanking the central entrance. Here are the archivolts over the left blind arch. Avarice is a deathly sin, so that the misers, holding their filled purses, are tortured by evil devils. No mercy! Here is a close up.

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. There are two blind arches flanking the central entrance. Here are the archivolts over the left blind arch. Avarice is a deathly sin, so that the five misers, holding their filled purses, are tortured by evil devils. No mercy!

Lorginac is a small village, surrounded by vinyards, near the Gironde. The parish church Saint-Pierre in it´s center was built within the 12th century, but got greatly altered in the 19th century. The left side of the capital, just seen on the previous upload. It is part of the western facade, that survived the great reconstruction process and still is in a good condition. A devil holds a miser by the neck. Avarice was a deathly sin - and the miser´s purse is indeed well filled. The devil has an enormous hairdo, that looks a bit like headdresses and war bonnets worn by Native Americans. But Christopher Columbus was still "far away"...

A harbour and a settlement existed here during Roman times already. A parish and a church Saint-Fortunat is mentioned in 1136, when Pope Innocent II confirmed a donation of the Abbey La Chaise-Dieu (Haute Loire). The erection of the church, seen today, started within the 12th century, but the structure got severely damaged during the 100 Years´ War and got rebuilt in Gothic-, later altered in Renaissance-style. The church is rather large for a small town with a population of less than 900. The Romanesque facade dating back to the 12th century is undamaged and very complete, what is a surprise, as the village was a stronghold of the Protestants. The stone, used by the carvers in the Saintong end of the 12 century, was very soft. So very elaborate works were possible. Due to the softness, some of the works are pretty weathered meanwhile. A miser, holding his well filled purse, on the left - and a poor guy on his knees, begging for small change, on the right.