Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: rebec

In 1040, the Count de la Marche and the Lord of Chabanais looted and burned down the abbey of Lesterps (Charente). Abbot Gaultier, who was absent during the incident, placed a complaint in Rome, so that the two criminals got excommunicated. In reparation, the Count de la Marche had to provide for the costs of rebuilding the abbey. The Lord of Chabanais had to donate land he owned at the time in Berry At this land, a church dedicated to Abbé Gaultier was built end of the 11th century for the priory that existed. The village, that developed was named as well after Abbé Gaultier, who died in 1070, and was canonized just three years later. There are some interesting carvings around the apse. The farmer and his friend the donkey were both excellent musicians. There were often invited to perform at house concerts all around the area.

A hermitage was founded here by Géraud de Salles, a friend of Robert de Arbrissel, the of the Cistercian abbey of Fontevrault. In 1119 the hermitage was made an abbey, connected to the Abbaye de Pontigny. The Abbaye de Cîteaux ceded twelve monks to Cadouin for the first settlement of the monastery. Around 1200 the monastery came into possession of the "Saint-Suaire de Cadouin". This was believed to be the facecloth from the tomb of Christ, said to have been brought from Antioch by a priest after the first crusade. This relic made the abbey an important place of pilgrimage on the way to Santiago and brought it great prestige and wealth. Even Louis IX of France ("St. Louis"), Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart") and Emperor Charles V ("Charles Quint") visited Cadouin to see the relic. The war of the 14th century let the pilgrimage come to an end and let the abbey decline. In 1357 the abbey was ruined and only two monks stayed to guard the shroud, that was transferred to Toulouse in 1392. This transport of shroud to Toulouse deprived the abbey of donations. The shroud returned and with the strong support of the French Kings, the abbey recovered after 1455. Thanks to royal protection, the cloister was rebuilt in an extravagant way. The abbey was affiliated to the Cistercian order, but not founded by it. This is one reason, that may explain the enormous creativity here, as "normally" the Cistercian art is very sober. Though the authenticity of the shroud was attested in 1644, the abbey did never fully recover after the Wars of Religions. During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and got looted. In 1793 the abbey, apart from the church, was sold as a national property. The mayor of Cadouin hid the shroud during the Revolution until it was returned to worship in 1797. It was the Bishop of Perigueux in the mid 19th century, who "relaunched" the pilgrimage, that prospered again up to 1934. That year, a historian dated the shroud thanks to the presence of decorative bands decorated with a text. An inscription was found in Kufic style, opened by the "fatiha", the Islamic profession of faith, the text then indicates that the veil was woven at the time of Al-Musta'li, the caliph of Fatimid Egypt, at the end of the 11th century. The extravagant cloister has many very interesting carvings. This imaginative work reminded me of Arthur Miller´s "Death of a Salesman", but here the story is a little different - and much older! The salesman has already died. He was still able to place is merchandise below him, his bag hanging from the tree. His soul has left the body and was carried up to heaven by two angels, where it can now be seen, sitting in Abraham´s bosom. Two angels are placed next to Abraham´s head, to back the transfer with music.

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 and could focus on "new" details. This time I found this very weathered musician, playing a rebec.

Notre-Dame de Surgères was erected in the center of a large castle in the 12th century. The fortification, founded in the 9th century as a motte, when the area was raided by the Vikings, then guarded the border of the historical province of Aunis once. When the church was built a small town had developed around the defence already. Later a small priory and a "hopital" existed, as this was a halt on the Via Turonensis. The pilgrims had a lot to gape here, the facade is stunning 23 meters wide. Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1152, so the area changed hands and was ruled by the House of Plantagenet. During the Hundred Years' War Surgères experienced a long period of decline. Louis XI´s troops conquered the town in 1472 and the fortifications got destructed. During that time Notre Dame lost the tower and large parts of the nave, but not the facade! There are more than 100 capitals and corbels all over the facade, a kind of a medieval encyclopedia. A nice example of "profane music", that was often frowned upon. The musician plays a rebec, while in the backdrop a very flexible dancer performs.

This church, dedicated to St. Christopher, is the last remaining building of a monastery founded in the 11th century, and belonging to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The earliest reference to the monastery dates from 1103. The monastery existed upto 1443, when it was dissolved The present church is the result of a rebuilding carried out in 1151, as indicated by an inscription on the apse. The western facade was probably created late 12th century. The corbels under the roof my be a bit older. Here is musician, probably playing a very sentimental and romantic melody, so his listener is very relaxed and dreaming away.

The church was erected in the early 12th century. Large parts of the facade are from that time. Here are three carvings.

A priory of the Abbey Sainte-Barbe en Auge (100 kms east) existed nearby since 1107. "Notre Dame" (co-dedicated to "Sainte Barbe") was given to the priory in 1165. An inscription in the apse tells, that the church was consecrated in 1128. The choir and apse, constructed during the Romanesque period, still exist pretty complete. Under the roof are numerous interesting corbels. A musician with a really large rebec or vielle.