Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Harrowing of Hell

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at natural crossroads It was connected to the Hanseatic city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during WW II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. The Gothic Marktkirche (Marktkirche St. Georgii et Jacobi) replaced an older Romanesque church, which foundations were found during an excavation in 1952. An appeal to the citizens for donations to build the church dates back to 1344, and work began on the foundations of the tower in 1347. Around 1360 the church was consecrated. In 1368, the construction of the church tower was interrupted due to times of emergency and plague and the resulting lack of money. From 1852 to 1855, the interior of the church was restored. During the air raids on Hannover during WWII, the church was destroyed except for the outer walls and the columns. Reconstruction took place in 1946-1952. The reredos of the high altar was originally a double-winged altarpiece. The altarpiece, created around 1480, was moved to the Aegidienkirche in 1663 during the installation of the Baroque altarpiece. From there, it was transferred to the Welfenmuseum during the renovation of the Aegidienkirche in 1856. It therefore remained undamaged during the WWII (except for the outer wings) and has been back in the Marktkirche since 1952. With the wings open, 21 scenes depict the Passion of Jesus, based on graphic models by Martin Schongauer. At the lower edge are medallions of the heads of the prophets. One of the scenes of the right wing is Harrowing of Hell

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at natural crossroads It was connected to the Hanseatic city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during WW II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. Originally the Museum of "Kunst und Wissenschaft" (art and science) inaugurated in 1856 in the presence of George V of Hanover. After the annexation of Hanover by Prussia, the museum was integrated into the Provincial Museum, as it was called from 1869. The museum ran out of space for its art collections, prompting the construction of the current building in 1902. Extensive renovations and modernisations were carried out in the interior from 1995 to 2000, reopening on 13 May 2000 as part of Expo 2000. Today the museum comprises the state gallery (Landesgalerie), featuring paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and departments of archaeology, natural history and ethnology. Die Goldene Tafel, Lüneburg, 1429/30 When closed, the everyday view, a scene from the Old Testament is juxtaposed with a scene from the New Testament. When the panels were opened on certain feast days, presents the life, passion, and resurrection of Christ in 36 scenes, read in three columns from left to right. In a recent research project at the altar was extensively examined from an art historical and art-scientific perspective, laying the foundation for the subsequent three-year restoration, which was successfully completed in 2019. Various artists worked on this highly complex altar. At least two workshops can be distinguished within the paintings: the first, a painter from the circle of Conrad von Soest, designed the scenes, and the second, presumably from Cologne, executed the paintings.

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at natural crossroads It was connected to the Hanseatic city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during WW II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. Originally the Museum of "Kunst und Wissenschaft" (art and science) inaugurated in 1856 in the presence of George V of Hanover. After the annexation of Hanover by Prussia, the museum was integrated into the Provincial Museum, as it was called from 1869. The museum ran out of space for its art collections, prompting the construction of the current building in 1902. Extensive renovations and modernisations were carried out in the interior from 1995 to 2000, reopening on 13 May 2000 as part of Expo 2000. Today the museum comprises the state gallery (Landesgalerie), featuring paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and departments of archaeology, natural history and ethnology. Passion altarpiece Master Bertram von Minden (around 1349 - 1415/16), / c 1390 Bertram von Minden ran a large workshop in Hamburg where painters and carvers worked

Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. With a population of around 525,000, it is the second largest city in Scotland after Glasgow. The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The National Museum of Scotland was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum. Both parts of the museum are located right next to each other on Chambers Street. The Royal Museum is a museum of natural sciences, technology and art. It is housed in a building dating from 1888. The Museum of Scotland deals with Scottish history and culture. It is located in a new building completed in 1998 right next to the 1888 building. Wood carving of the Harrowing of Hell, showing Adam, Eve and others coming out of hell. 15th c.

Hereford became the seat of Putta, Bishop of Hereford, some time between 676 and 688, after which the settlement continued to grow due to its proximity to the border between Mercia and Wales, becoming the Saxon capital of West Mercia by the beginning of the 8th century. Hostilities between the Anglo-Saxons and the Welsh came to a head with the Battle of Hereford in 760, in which the Britons freed themselves from the influence of the English. Hereford was again targeted by the Welsh during their conflict with the Anglo-Saxon King Edward the Confessor in 1056 when, supported by Viking allies, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, King of Gwynedd and Powys, marched on the town and put it to the torch before returning home in triumph. A church has existed on this site since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079. Substantial parts date from both the Norman and the Gothic periods. The cathedral is dedicated to two saints, St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert the King. The latter was beheaded by Offa, King of Mercia, in the year 794. Offa had consented to give his daughter to Ethelbert in marriage, but he changed his mind and deprived him of his head. Of this Norman church, completed around 1150, the surviving parts are the nave arcade, the choir, the south transept and the crossing arches. Scarcely 50 years after its completion the east end was altered by constructing a retro-choir and a lady chapel. 1226 - 1246, the Lady Chapel was rebuilt in the Early English style. Around the middle of the century the clerestory, and the vaulting of the choir, were rebuilt, having been damaged by the settling of the central tower. Under Peter of Aigueblanche (bishop 1240–68) the rebuilding of the north transept was begun, being completed later in the same century. On Easter Monday, 1786, the greatest disaster in the history of the cathedral took place. The west tower fell, creating a ruin of the whole of the west front and at least one part of the nave. The restoration work took more than a century. The west front was restored over the period 1902 and 1908. Some of the Norman/Romanesque capitals still exist. Harrowing of Hell?

Beckford is known to have been settled by the Romans. The Anglo-Saxons filled the vacuum caused by the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the Saxon Chronicles of Worcestershire record it as “Beccanforda”. It is documented that a monastery and church, almost certainly of timber, were here in the 8th century. The central tower, its base having round-headed Norman windows, suggests a Norman cruciform church. The nave is Norman and there may have been an apsidal chancel where the tower is now. The chancel is Early English style from around 1310. The church has two old tympanae.The tympanum on the north side lacks the protection of a porch and has therefore suffered over the centuries. Harrowing of Hell - Christ in the centre is spearing the Devil with his cross, while in his other hand is a man (Adam) he has rescued from Hell.

The place name Quenington is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Qvenintone. A priest was recorded here. The land and the settlement had been given to the Lacey family by William the Conquerer. The Knights Hospitallier maintained a preceptory here in the 12th century, which was almost completely demolished around 1600.The Norman church of St Swithin was mainly built in the late 11th century. It has some extraordenary carvings. The northern doorway depicts the Harrowing of Hell. Christ is thrusting the cross into the devil´s mouth while three persons are risung out of the Mouth of Hell.

The fortified town of Stendal was founded by the first Brandenburg Margrave Albert the Bear and granted Magdeburg rights about 1160. A deed issued by Emperor Heinrich II in 1022, in which the village appears among the possessions of the Michaeliskloster in Hildesheim, is a 12th-century forgery. Stendal quickly prospered as a center of commerce and trade. The parish of St. Jacobi was founded in the 12th century. The construction of a Franciscan monastery began in 1230. In the 13th century, the Stendal Seafarers' Guild was formed, which traded its own ships in the Baltic and North Sea areas. The oldest documented mention of the church of St. Marien dates back to 1283. Stendal received city walls around 1300 and in 1338 a Latin school was built. The local merchants joined the Hanseatic League in 1358 and purchased the privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369. Just like in neighboring Tangermünde, the citizens of Stendal rebelled against the beer tax in 1488. - In 1188, Margrave Otto II and his brother Heinrich von Gardelegen, both sons of the Ascanian Otto I, founded a collegiate monastery in Stendal. The chapter consisted of twelve secular canons. It was independent of the bishop, was directly subordinate to the pope, and was, therefore, an important spiritual center in the Altmark area. The canons had church patronage over all Stendal parish churches, as well as numerous churches in the surrounding villages. Around the same time, the construction of the first collegiate church is started. It was a three-nave basilica with a transept and choir apse, similar to the monastery church of Jerichow. Of this first building, the lower part of the west facade is preserved, below the two early Gothic towers. The present building was erected from 1423 onwards. Towards the middle of the 15th century, the new church was probably largely completed. It is a three-nave, four-bay hall church with a transept and nave choir. The west building from the second quarter of the 13th century was taken over from the foundation building. The top floor of the towers dates from the 15th century and is crowned by pointed helmets. The transept has a richly decorated stepped gable on the north side. - Here are 22 medieval stained glass windows, which were created between about 1425 and 1480. These were heavily restored in the 19th century, around half of the glass is probably still original. Harrowing of Hell

A ford made it easier to cross the Adour in ancient times, later the Romans settled in the area. A Christian church may have existed as early as the 4th century Around 840 the Vikings led a devastating raid, but the town recovered and by the end of the 12th century the Count of Bigorre settled in his castle at Tarbes. At the end of the Middle Ages, the city consisted of six separate fortified towns. During the Wars of Religion in 1569, Jeanne d'Albret's troops burned the cathedral, the convents, and other churches, as well as the bishopric. The inhabitants were massacred. . The Jardin Massey is a large public garden built in the 19th century by Placide Massey horticulturist of the French King Louis Philippe I and the previous chief of the Palace of Versailles' gardens. The garden contains the cloister of the Saint-Sever-de-Rustan Abbey. Some elements of the cloister were originally built in the 15th century for the Carmelite monastery of Trie-sur-Baïse which had been severely damaged during the Huguenot Wars. These parts of the cloister were sold to the Abbey of Saint-Sever-de-Rustan for the restoration of the cloister there, as there as well a band of Huguenots, under the command of the Earl of Montgomery, had settled in the abbey for months, plundered the treasury and destroyed the church. The abbey got restored by the monks at the end of the 16th century and remodeled in the 18th century. It became state property in 1789 and was sold privately in 1792. In 1890, when numerous capitals had already been sold (some of which can be seen today in The Cloisters Museum in New York City), the remaining parts were bought by the city of Tarbes and moved to Jardin Massey. Harrowing of Hell The descent of Christ into Hell Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world. Here he is guiding Adam and Eve out of the Hell´s Mouth.

Due to its location and importance, Benevento was an important base for Roman rule in southern Italy for centuries. After the expansion of the Lombards, Benevento became the seat of Lombard dukes but repeatedly fell into dependence on the Franks and the German emperors. In 840, Benevento was occupied by the Muslims for a few years. The city has been the seat of the Archbishopric of Benevento since 969. In 1047 it fell into the hands of Norman princes with the exception of the city, which Emperor Henry III gave to Leo IX in 1053. In the 11th and 12th centuries, four councils were held in Benevento. On February 26, 1266, in the Battle of Benevento, the Hohenstaufen Manfred, natural son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, was defeated by Charles of Anjou, after which the latter seized Apulia, Sicily, and Tuscia. The Duomo di Benevento Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishops of Benevento. It dates back to the Longobard foundation of the Duchy of Benevento in the late 8th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 1960s after being destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II. The massive bell tower was built beginning in 1279, as an inscription on the east facade attests. It remained largely undamaged during the bombings. Benevento Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishops of Benevento. It dates back to the Longobard foundation of the Duchy of Benevento in the late 8th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 1960s after being destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II. The medieval bronze door, created around 1200, was found in fragments in the rubble of the church after the bombings of 1944. However, it could be reconstructed almost completely. The content of the door consists of two parts. The upper two-thirds is filled with a relief cycle on the life of Jesus. The lower third consists of individual figures. The life of Jesus is depicted in 43 scenes, from the Annunciation to the Ascension. Ursula Mende, author of "The Bronze Doors of the Middle Ages" sees strong parallels with the mosaics in the Cathedral of Monreale and ivory works from Byzantium of the 11th century. The finely crafted figures look almost plastic against the background. Crucifixion of Jesus (Jn 19:16-27) - Burial (Jn 19:38-40) - Harrowing of Hell - Resurrection (Mk 16:1-8), the three myrrh bearers find the empty tomb.

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. I have already uploaded dozens of shots from previous visits, so I´ll try to cut down the number of uploads this time. Harrowing of Hell

A legend attributes Kraków's founding to the mythical ruler Krakus, who built it above a cave occupied by a dragon, Smok Wawelski. The first written record dates to 965, when Kraków was described as a notable commercial center captured by a Bohemian duke Boleslaus I in 955. The first ruler of Poland, Mieszko I, took Kraków from the Bohemians. In 1038, Kraków became the seat of the Polish government. By the end of the 10th century, the city was a center of trade. Brick buildings were constructed, including the Royal Wawel Castle. The city was sacked and burned during the Mongol invasion of 1241. It was rebuilt and incorporated in 1257 by Bolesław V the Chaste who introduced city rights. In 1259, the city was again ravaged by the Mongols. The third attack in 1287 was repelled thanks in part to the newly built fortifications. The city rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir III founded the University of Kraków, the second oldest university in central Europe. But after Casimir´s death in 1370 the campus did not get completed. As the capital of the Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League, the city attracted craftsmen from abroad, guilds as science and the arts began to flourish. The 15th and 16th centuries are known as Poland's "Złoty Wiek" (Golden Age). After childless King Sigismund II had died in 1572, the Polish throne passed to Henry III of France and then to other foreign-based rulers in rapid succession, causing a decline in the city's importance that was worsened by pillaging during the Swedish invasion and by an outbreak of bubonic plague that left 20,000 of the city's residents dead. In 1596, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa moved the capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warsaw. - In the place of a Romanesque church, that got destroyed during the Mongol invasion, the early Gothic Church of St. Mary was built on the northeast corner of the market square at the end of the 13th century. It got consecrated in 1320. The church was completely rebuilt during the reign of Casimir III the Great between 1355 and 1365. The main body of the church was completed in 1395–97 with the new vault constructed by master Nicholas Wernher from Prague. In the 18th century, the interior was rebuilt in the late Baroque style. In the years 1887–1891, the neo-Gothic design was introduced into the Basilica. The altarpiece by Veit Stoss is a large Gothic altarpiece and the most important work of art in the basilica. It is located behind the altar of St. Mary. The altarpiece was created between 1477 and 1489 by the German-born sculptor Veit Stoss, who lived and worked in the city for over 20 years. The retable of the Marian altar is a pentaptych, which means that it has five wings. It consists of a central part with sculptures, a pair of opening inner wings and a pair of fixed outer wings. Both pairs of wings are decorated with reliefs. The structure is completed by a predella in relief on the altarpiece and an openwork keystone with massive sculptures. It is made of three types of wood. The structure is made of hard oak, the background of lighter but equally strong larch, while the figures are carved of soft and flexible linden. Unfortunately, the reredos was "closed". The wings of the closed altar present twelve scenes. The "Harrowing of Hell" ( the descent of Christ into Hell). Christ brings salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world. The first two, leaving hell are Adam and Eve.

The small hamlet of Urschalling belongs to Prien am Chiemsee. Located in its centre is St. Jakobus, the parish church. It was built end of the 11th century and later integrated into a fortified castle, that is long gone. Under a thick coat of paint frescoes from the 14th century were discovered. When these got renovated in the 1940s, another layer of frescoes was discovered below. These frescoes were even 200 years older. The "Harrowing of Hell". Christ releasing Adam, Eve and other righteous from the Hellmouth.

The small hamlet Urschalling belongs to Prien am Chiemsee. Located in its centre is St. Jakobus, the parish church. It was built end of the 11th century and later integrated into a fortified castle, that is long gone. Under a thick coat of paint frescoes from the 14th century were discovered. When these got renovated in the 1940s, another layer of frescoes was discovered below. These frescoes were even 200 years older. Next to the Baroque statue of Saint Jakobus (James), dressed like a pilgrim, one of the Romanesque frescoes created 1160/1180.

La Chaise-Dieu was founded in 1043 by Robert de Turlande. It was named "Casa Dei", from which La Chaise-Dieu developed. From the 11th to the 13th century, the abbey experienced rapid and significant development. When the founder died in 1067, already 300 monks lived here. In the Auvergne La Chaise-Dieu gained importance similar to that of the Burgundian Cluny Abbey. The abbey received many donations from noble families and administered 42 daughter monasteries. Popes who visited the abbey include Urban II, Calixt II, Alexander III. and Innocent II. In 1342, Pierre Roger, who had lived as a monk in La Chaise-Dieu, became Pope in Avignon under the name Clement VI. He financed a new building of the abbey church, in which he was finally buried. The building was completed in 1378 under the pontificate of Gregory XI, a nephew of Clement VI. Since 1516 La Chaise-Dieu, like most other French abbeys, became "in commendam" so the commendatory abbot drew the revenue of the monastery but without fulfilling the duties of the abbot or even residing at the monastery. Calvinist troops looted the abbey in August 1562. After most of the monastery buildings were destroyed by fire in 1695, they were rebuilt by the monks in the decades that followed. In 1786, Cardinal de Rohan, who was involved in the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace" was exiled to La Chaise-Dieu. While the abbey had 40 monks at that time, religious life ended at the beginning of the French Revolution. La Chaise-Dieu is known for the tapestries, once woven to embellish the monks´ choir. They were commissioned by Jacques de Saint-Nectaire and were woven by a Flemish workshop between 1501 and 1518. The collection includes 14 tapestries of which two are different and may have been ordered by the abbot for his personal use. The 12 other tapestries constitute a complete continuation of the Annunciation to the Last Judgment. An inventory prior to the Revolution mentions 18 tapestries, so four tapestries have therefore disappeared. The tapestries were only exhibited during major liturgical feasts. They were rolled up and kept during the troubles during the Wars of Religion and the Revolution. In 2013 the tapestries were removed. They got restored and returned to the abbey in July 2019. I was lucky to see them in August 2019. The elephant is part of the Hellmouth (see prev. upload for a total).

La Chaise-Dieu was founded in 1043 by Robert de Turlande. It was named "Casa Dei", from which La Chaise-Dieu developed. From the 11th to the 13th century, the abbey experienced rapid and significant development. When the founder died in 1067, already 300 monks lived here. In the Auvergne La Chaise-Dieu gained importance similar to that of the Burgundian Cluny Abbey. The abbey received many donations from noble families and administered 42 daughter monasteries. Popes who visited the abbey include Urban II, Calixt II, Alexander III. and Innocent II. In 1342, Pierre Roger, who had lived as a monk in La Chaise-Dieu, became Pope in Avignon under the name Clement VI. He financed a new building of the abbey church, in which he was finally buried. The building was completed in 1378 under the pontificate of Gregory XI, a nephew of Clement VI. Since 1516 La Chaise-Dieu, like most other French abbeys, became "in commendam" so the commendatory abbot drew the revenue of the monastery but without fulfilling the duties of the abbot or even residing at the monastery. Calvinist troops looted the abbey in August 1562. After most of the monastery buildings were destroyed by fire in 1695, they were rebuilt by the monks in the decades that followed. In 1786, Cardinal de Rohan, who was involved in the "Affair of the Diamond Necklace" was exiled to La Chaise-Dieu. While the abbey had 40 monks at that time, religious life ended at the beginning of the French Revolution. La Chaise-Dieu is known for the tapestries, once woven to embellish the monks´ choir. They were commissioned by Jacques de Saint-Nectaire and were woven by a Flemish workshop between 1501 and 1518. The collection includes 14 tapestries of which two are different and may have been ordered by the abbot for his personal use. The 12 other tapestries constitute a complete continuation of the Annunciation to the Last Judgment. An inventory prior to the Revolution mentions 18 tapestries, so four tapestries have therefore disappeared. The tapestries were only exhibited during major liturgical feasts. They were rolled up and kept during the troubles during the Wars of Religion and the Revolution. In 2013 the tapestries were removed. They got restored and returned to the abbey in July 2019. I was lucky to see them in August 2019. Seen in the centre is "Harrowing of Hell". Note that part of the Hellmouth is an elephant. To the left is Loth and his family leaving Sodom, to the left Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the blazing furnace (Daniel 3.19)

"Saint Germain" is in the center of the large "enclos paroissial". The enclosure comprises of the parish church, the calvary and a funeral chapel/ ossuary. The "Calvary on Pleyben" is the most massive calvary in Brittany. It was built in 1555 and at that time was attached to the narthex of the church. It was moved to this location in 1738. The calvary was constructed in the shape of a triumphal arch and has three crosses on it. It depicts 30 scenes from Christ´s life, staged on two levels. To the very left Mary´s visit at Elizabeth (= the Visitation, Luke 1:39–56), the Nativity of Jesus, the Adoration of the Magi and (right) the Flight into Egypt. Seen above is Christ´s descent into hell (= "Harrowing of Hell").

In 915 Aymar de Bourbon, ancestor of the House of Bourbon, gave land in Souvigny to the Cluny Abbey for the construction of a monastery. At that time the "Abbaye de Cluny" was just 5 years old, as it had been founded 910 by William I, Duke of Aquitaine, (aka "William the Pious"). Souvigny was one of the first priories, dependent from the Cluny Abbey, so it was known later as "one of the five eldest daughters of Cluny". Cluny developed into the most powerful abbey in the Middle Ages, when the Cluniac Reforms changed the monastic life in Europe. German historian Dr. Joachim Wollasch ("Cluny, Licht der Welt"), estimates that in its haydays, more than 10.000 monks were parts of this network´, that stretched all over Europe. The pelerinage to Santiago de Compostella was one of the great "themes", developed and strongly supported by Cluny. The priory in Souvigny, located about 130kms west of Cluny, was such an important convent, that two of the powerful abbots of Cluny, Majolus (+ 994) and Odilo (+ 1049) died here. Their graves were a place of pilgrimage site soon after. To cope with the growing number of pilgrims, the priory´s church got enlarged already within the 10th century. Mayeul (= Majolus) was the 4th, Odilon (= Odilo) was the 5th abbot of the Abbey of Cluny. Odilo "invented" and established the "All Souls' Day" (2. November), that was adopted in the whole Western church. The church, probably built after the model of Cluny III, with five aisles structure and two transepts, crumbled, when the times got tougher in the next centuries. A renovation was done in the 15th century, but the interior structure is still "clearly" Romanesque. It got recently renovated. In 1793 French revolutionaries raged here with furor, destroyed the tombs and beheaded the sculptures, they believed to be connected to the Pope, Abbots or Bourbons. They did not touch (most of) the capitals. I´ll upload some fotos of the capitals of the transepts. These carvings differ in style and may be older, as the church was probably built from east (apse) to west (facade). Christ (with a cross halo and a staff with a kind of procession cross) is in the center. The left side (compared to the right) is somehow chaotic. There are even two animals on the left. This capital may (!) depict the "Harrowing of Hell". In the time between Crucifixion and the Resurrection Christ descended into hell, bringing salvation to the righteous, who had died since the beginning. That would mean hell is left - heaven right.