Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Greif

Bitonto, today a city of a population of about 55000, was probably founded by Greek settlers. Traces of a city wall dating to the 5th and 4th century BC were found. Legends tell that the name Bitonto is connected to an Illyrian king named Botone. Later "Civitas Butuntinenses" became a self-governing Roman municipium, A Paleochristian basilica existed very early. During the 9th century, Bitonto successfully withstood a Saracen raid but got destroyed by Byzantine troops in 975. The Normans took over Apulia. In the 11th and 12th century. Under the rule of the Normans of Roger II of Sicily, William I of Sicily (aka William the Wicked) and William II of Sicily (aka William the Good), the city prospered and got new walls. In 1227, Bitonto was the scene of ex-communication of Frederick II accused by pope Gregory IX of having come to terms with the sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. - The Bitonto Cathedral, dedicated to San Valentino, was erected 1175/1200 in the centre of the city. The construction was probably influenced by the "Basilica of San Nicola" in Bari and was done in the typical "Apulian Romanesque" style. It is proven that the bishopric existed in 1089, though the crypt of the cathedral has remains of a 5th-century church. There are three portals. The central one is flanked by two large Griffins. Here is one of them, holding down a ram.

Stift Millstatt ("Millstatt Abbey") was founded by the Aribo II and Boto, members of Aribonids, a noble, Bavarian family, around 1070. Run by Benedictine monks and protected by Papal deeds Stift Millstatt prospered in the early years and a nunnery was added. Within the 13th century, the decay began. As the abbey had secular Church Vogts, it suffered strongly under the political powergames of that timne and finaly ended 1456 under the House of Habsburg. At that time only 10 monks still lived here. Emperor Frederick III reached a papal bull in 1469, so that the military order of the Knights of Saint George took over Stift Millstatt in order to fight the invading troops of the Ottoman Empire. The order now had to cope with the debts left by the Benedictines and the redevelopment of the neglected premises. While the knights were engaged with the fortification of the monastery, they failed to protect the region. Millstatt was heavily devastated by the Turks in 1478, followed by Hungarian troops in 1487. As the power of the knightly order declined, unrests and revolts arose among the peasants. As the new Protestant belief spread in the area the monastery vested the Society of Jesus ("Jesuits") in 1598 to support the Counter-Reformation. The monks were disliked by the population for their stern measures. In 1737 the displeasure culminated in open revolt, when peasants ganged up and stormed the monastery. The rule of the Jesuits ended, when the order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. The monks had to leave Millstatt. Today the former abbey-church serves the parish, while the other buildings belong to the Austrian state and host the "Österreichische Bundesforste" (Austrian State Forestry Commission). The church underwent numerous alterations over the centuries. It did not only suffer from fires, but as well from earthquakes. A strong quake in 1690 heavily damaged the western facade. The side portal of the former abby church is in the northeastern corner of the cloister. This is from where the monks entered the church. The portal was "remodeled" around 1500, using Romanesque sculptures, that probably were created 1150-1200 for different places. Here - over the capital - lurks a huge griffon.

In 1043 Hemma of Gurk (canonized in 1938) founded the Benedictine double monastery of Gurk Abbey, where she withdrew during the last years of her life. After Saint Hemma´s death, the abbey was dissolved by the Archbishop of Salzburg, who instead set up the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt in 1072. The "Gurk Cathedral" is a large Romanesque basilica, built 1140 - 1220. The crypt got consecrated already in 1174 and since then hosts the grave of Saint Hemma of Gurk, still a place of pilgrimage. The Dome has no transept - but three apses. The central apse has a nice carving. A lion kills griffin. For a while, I saw a basilisk, but now I see it is a griffin.

The first church probably existed here, on the siland of Murona, already in the 7th century. A large church, named "Santa Mariae plebis Murianensis" was erected within the 10th century. Legends connect the building to Otto I, and it is proven that it was completed in 999. This church got rebuild around 1040. In 1125, the relics of St. Donatus, that had been attained by the Venitian forces, led by Doge Domenico Michele, were translated to this church. The church and the campanile are built with red bricks. Santa Maria e San Donato, once the cathedral of the Bishops of Murano and Torcellino, is known for the fantastic floor mosaics and cosmatesque decorations, that, following the inscription, seen here, was completed 1140. The mosaics cover the complete floor of the church. Here are two griffins - under the churchbenches.

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. Two griffins, drinking from a chalice. The icon two birds or griffins drinking from a chalice (or fountain / "fons vitae") has roots into Greek and Roman iconopgraphy. In Christianity it developed into an Eucharistic symbol, associated with baptism and resurrection.

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. Upto the "renovation" the cathedral had a Romanesque southern portal. It got destroyed, but some parts from that portal like this griffin survived - and now guard the main facade together with the two portal lions who carry atlantes on the back - and so support the narthex. The portal is attributed to Master Niccolò (aka "Nicholaus"), who (or his workshop) worked as well in Verona (San Zeno) and Piacenza (Cathedral).

Foligno was an Umbrian settlement, taken over by the Romans in 295 BC and named "Fulginiae". After the fall of the Roman Empire it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto. In 881 it got sacked and looted by Saracens, in 915 and again in 924 it was ruined by Magyar troops. The survivers decided to move close to the "Civitas Sancti Feliciani", a strongly fortified church where Bishop and martyr Feliciano was buried. Thanks to Barbarossa it gained the status of free city in 1165. Siding first with the Guelph party, Foligno became Ghibelline later and was a rival of Perugia. Foligno changed hands often during the wars of the 13th century. From the the 14th century on the city flourished, controlling large territory. Foligno was part of the Papal States until 1860 (with only two short exceptions). Foligno has suffered from a major earthquake in 1997, some traces can still be found. The "Cattedrale di San Feliciano" was built on the site of an earlier basilica ("Civitas Sancti Feliciani") 1133-1201. It is the seat of the Bishop of Foligno. The cathedral has two façades, the principal façade, facing the Piazza Grande, and the secondary façade facing the Piazza della Repubblica. This is a detail of the secondary façade, that has an elaborate portal. It is the work of the master sculptors and architects Rodolfo and Binello from 1201.

Trogir was founded by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC. In Roman times this was an important harbour town. From the 9th century on Trogir was under Croatian rule and later part of the Byzantine empire. A diocese was established in the 11th century, in 1107 the Hungarian-Croatian King Coloman ("The Bookish", "Kálmán Könyves") granted the autonomy. Saracen troops conquered Trogir in 1123 and demolished most of it. From 1420 upto 1797 Trogir belonged to the Republic of Venice. For a short while it belonged to the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but upto 1918 Trogir was part of the Habsburg Empire. Trogir is more than 2000 years old. It grew under the influence of the ancient Greeks, the Romans, and the Venetians... Trogir's medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises (about 10) churches, houses and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Since 1997 the centre of Trogir is a "UNESCO World Heritage Site". The Cathedral of St. Lawrence was erected from 1213 on the foundations of cathedral destroyed by the Saracens in 1123. Most of the work was done in the 13th century. This cathedral is world wide known for Master Radovan´s portal. The portal was carved by the local architect and sculptor Master Radovan (and his workshop). It was completed and signed by Radovan in 1240. Here are the two sides of the portal. The door posts are decorated with reliefs and two carved columns with scenes of hunting and beasts. The sides of the columns, that flank the doors, are decorated with scenes of people and animals entangled by tendrils. There are hunting scenes (previous uploads) but as well strange and mythical creatures. Below the bear, a griffin attacks a boar.

The construction of the "Battistero di San Giovanni" started in 1152 to replace an older baptistry. Since its completion in 1363 the transition from (Pisan) Romanesque to (Pisan) Gothic style was visible. The baptistry was designed by Diotisalvi, who signed and dated the building ("1153"), similar to the "Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro" (previous uploads), he had designed some decades before. The baptistry is about 54 m high, with a circumference of 107 m. Standing on the surrounding gallery offers a brilliant view onto the many Romanesque carvings. A griffin has caught a goat.

Civaux, a village with a population of about 1000, has a history rooting very deep. Humans populated the area already, when stepp bisons and mammoths were hunted. Many "pre-historic" artefacts have been excavated in and around Civaux, proving that this place was inhabited over tens of thousands of years. A settlement stood on the site of the village in Gallo-Roman times, and there are still traces of Roman temples. Excavations have revealed the sites of a theater (capacity 3000), a fortified camp, and the foundations of many villas. This has been a place of very early christianisation. A funeral stele has been found dating to around 400, a pagan temple and a very early baptisterium were excavated next to the church. A polygonal apse was probably built as will around 400, what actually means that this church, dedicated to Saint Gervais and Saint Protais is one of the oldest in France. At that time a kind of pilgrimage must have developed. The relics of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais had been miraculously discovered by Saint Ambrose in Milan in 386, so the saints got very popular in Merovingian times, but that does not explain the enigma of Civaux. The village stands in the center of a huge merovingian necropolis. As many sarcophagi were sold as water basins or troughs in later time, the exact number of graves is unknown. Serious estimations are between 15.000 and 20.000 graves. There are parallels to nearby Saint Pierre in Cauvigny (16 kms north). The same colours as in Chauvigny were used here during the restauration of the interior. At least one of the capitals is very similar to one in Saint Pierre, but some carvings are absolutely unique. The nave dates back to the 11th century, the apse more than 600 years older. Thanks to the friendly lady from the Archaeological Museum I could take photos from the gallery of the church. Merci beaucoup! Two griffins holding a ball. www.tourisme-vienne.com/en/activite/88/musee-archeologique