Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: horse´s head

Saint-Pierre of today is a fortified church dating back to the 12th century. It replaced a small chapel, that existed here since 989. The Romanesque facade got remodeled a couple of times over the centuries, but there are still many great carvings and sculptures. Seen in the "Ascension of Jesus". Jesus is in the mandorla, below his feet is an archivolt (heads of horses, very similar to the archivolt of Saint-Fortunat in Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde).

Saint-Pierre of today is a fortified church dating back to the 12th century. It replaced a small chapel, that existed here since 989. The Romanesque facade got remodeled a couple of times over the centuries, but there are still many great carvings and sculptures. Seen in the "Ascension of Jesus". Jesus is in the mandorla, below his feet is an archivolt (heads of horses, similar to the archivolt of Saint-Fortunat in Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde). The next tier has the virtues and vices (most are lost) and below are the twelve apostles with Mary in the center. Here all statues have lost their heads.

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. One of the large archivolts over the cenral entrance (previous upload) consists out of 26 identic horse's heads. Here is a close up.

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 three arches are typical for the "style saintonge". The archivolts that form the semicircle over the central entrance are somehow "uniform", a large geometric pattern. One of the archivolt consists out of 26 identic horse's heads.