Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: vandals

Legends tell, that in the 6th century a hermit named Porcianus, later known as Saint Pourcain founded a monastery on the height of land overlooking the river. The monastery was restored between 871 and 875 by monks of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Philibert, (today in Loire-Atlantique), who had fled the Noirmoutier Abbey traying to bring St. Philiberts relics into safety from the the Norman raids. They stayed for a couple of years and settled finally in Tournus. The monastery of Saint-Pourçain became a priory dependent on the abbey of Saint-Philibert de Tournus. During the French Revolution, the monastery was closed and its church "Sainte Croix" became a parish church. So this was the church of monastery. The first construction phase started within the 11th century, so romanesque walls can be seen in the nave - in the first bays. Further east the structure is gothic (13th), incl. the radial chappels of the choir. The church got looted and heavily damaged during/after the French Revolution, which is still very visible. During the 19th century the church got reconstructed. The vandals of the revolutions really took pains here and completely destroyed the medieval tympanum.

Notre-Dame, erected 1230 - 1251, is considered a jewel of 13th-century Gothic architecture in France. The planar western façade is quite unique - as it opens like a large screen to the spectator. The "screen" is 28,6 m high by 19,5 m wide. There are three levels. The lowest (here only party seen) has three arcades forming the entry into a porch. Above are two arcaded galleries, one above the other. On each of these two upper levels the arches rest on 17 columns. Emphasising the top and bottom of these galleries are three string courses consisting of 51 (not water-transporting) gargoyles. The original gargoyles were in place for only a short time. They were removed already around 1240, following a fatal accident. An usurer was killed on the church forecourt, when a stone figure representing an usurer became detached and hit him. His colleagues organised the destruction of all gargoyles on the façade. A kind of vandalism, that got "repaired". The 51 gargoyles which today decorate the façade were made in 1880-1882, during the restoration of the church. What the vandals of the French Revolution did in 1794 could not be repaired. They chiselled off the complete works over the central portal.

Already Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, may have funded a church, erected over the tomb of Saint Zeno, who, following the legends, was born in Mauretania and died around 380 in Verona. The erection of the present church began in the 9th century. Soon after San Zeno´s relics were translated into the new church. At that time Charlemagne´s son Pepin (aka "Pepin of Italy") resided in Verona and a large Benedictine monastery grew all around the church. When the Magyars invaded Italy in the early 10th century, the church got severely damaged, but the relics were not harmed, as they had been taken out and were hidden. In 967, a new church was built with the patronage of Otto I. On January 3, 1117, the church was damaged by an earthquake, that ruined so many buildings in Northern Italy. The church was restored and got enlarged in 1138. All the 13th-14th century frescoes, that are in "easy reach" for vandals, are covered with old graffiti.

Already Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, may have funded a church, erected over the tomb of Saint Zeno, who, following the legends, was born in Mauretania and died around 380 in Verona. The erection of the present church began in the 9th century. Soon after San Zeno´s relics were translated into the new church. At that time Charlemagne´s son Pepin (aka "Pepin of Italy") resided in Verona and a large Benedictine monastery grew all around the church. When the Magyars invaded Italy in the early 10th century, the church got severely damaged, but the relics were not harmed, as they had been taken out and were hidden. In 967, a new church was built with the patronage of Otto I. On January 3, 1117, the church was damaged by an earthquake, that ruined so many buildings in Northern Italy. The church was restored and got enlarged in 1138. All the 13th-14th century frescoes, that are in "easy reach" for vandals, are covered with old graffiti.

Already Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, may have funded a church, erected over the tomb of Saint Zeno, who, following the legends, was born in Mauretania and died around 380 in Verona. The erection of the present church began in the 9th century. Soon after San Zeno´s relics were translated into the new church. At that time Charlemagne´s son Pepin (aka "Pepin of Italy") resided in Verona and a large Benedictine monastery grew all around the church. When the Magyars invaded Italy in the early 10th century, the church got severely damaged, but the relics were not harmed, as they had been taken out and were hidden. In 967, a new church was built with the patronage of Otto I. On January 3, 1117, the church was damaged by an earthquake, that ruined so many buildings in Northern Italy. The church was restored and got enlarged in 1138. All the 13th-14th century frescoes, that are in "easy reach" for vandals, are covered with old graffiti.