Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: seraphim

Legends connect the foundation of the Abbazia Santa Maria di Vezzolano to Charlemagne. It does date back to the eighth century and got destroyed in the 10th century by the Saracens. The complex was rebuilt until 1189 and is documented as an Augustinian monastery from 1095. It was a seat of a community until the 19th century, when it was suppressed during the Napoleonic invasion of Italy. - The façade is elaborately decorated. The large mullioned window has the figure of Christ in the center flanked by the two archangels Michael and Raffaele. Above the mullioned window are two angels holding candles. Higher up there are two seraphim (with six wings). At the peak, in a niche is a bust depicting probably God the father. A tympanum is over the portal.

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. - Cefalù in the early morning sun centred around the cathedral. A settlement is known here since Greek times and flourished during the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Empire, the town was Byzantine, but like the whole island was soon subject to Arab incursions. In 858 it was taken by the Arabs and was part of the Emirate of Sicily for about 200 years. In 1063, the Normans captured it. In 1131, Roger II moved Cefalù to the present location at the foot of the rock. He began the construction of the Byzantine-style cathedral. The façade was completed in 1240 and the Cathedral was consecrated in 1267. The overwhelming, breathtaking apse mosaic was already completed in 1148. Above the Pantocrator are two angels and four six-winged seraphs. Below are Mary flanked by angels and the apostles. Roger II had built this church as his burial ground and even two porphyry sarcophagi were here, but Frederic II moved them to the Palermo cathedral later, where they still are.

San Gregorio, located outside a hamlet, that meanwhile is part of Castel Ritaldi, is decorated with some extraordinary carvings. Here are the archivolts over the main door. Carved in in the outer archivolt is "AN.ML.C.XLI" = 1141. Entangling vines connect a cosmos of animals (lions, birds, a boar, a dog, a hare), mythical creatures (griffons), centered around a seraphim. There is even Samson on the left - and a "floater" on the smaller archivolt.

The church of the former Priory Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Benoît is now the parish church of the village. I had visited Perrecy-les-Forges some years ago - and this time the church was indeed open! Charles Martel, grandfather of Charlemagne and leader of the frankish armee in the Battle of Tours (732), gave the Perrecey estate to his brother Childebrand as a gift to thank him for defeating the Sarascens in the valleys of the Rhone and the Saône in 732. Childebrands heirs bequeated it to the abbey of "Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire". First monks settled here 880/885. Some parts of the westwork may date back to the 9th century. 1020/1030 a romanesque basilica was constructed, one arm of the transept collapsed in 1095 - but got reconstructed soon after. 1120/1130 the narthex was added, which is a unique masterpiece. Though obviously the priory run out of funds and so the second tower was never completed. Over the next centuries more chapels were added. The monastery burnt down in 1500 and got dissolved in 1776 by a royal order. All existing buildings but the church got demolished after the French Revolution. The church lost its crossing tower. The spectacular narthex with the wonderful carvings survived all wars and revolutions. The tympanum depicts "Christ in Majesty" flanked by two seraphims (6 wings each). Seen on the (weathered) lintel below is (fltr): the "Kiss of Judas", Jesus gets arrested, Peter cuts off Malchus´ ear with a sword.

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. It may well be, that soon after panels of a bronze door from another (destroyed?, damaged?) church were transferred to San Zeno - and so got reused here. Today the famous bronze door consists out of two panels on which the plates are fixed. The older ones (~ 1100) are often compared with the bronze works in Hildesheim, and Saxon Masters may have worked here. The younger ones (1200) are "smoother" and some scholars connect them to Benedetto Antelami, who worked in Parma 1178 ("Deposition"). Unfortunately the rooms is so small, that I was unable to take an "overview", so I could only take photos of panels and details. Christ in a blessing gesture, holding a bible. He is surrounded by four angels. The lower pair of angels stand on winged wheels. They are seraphim ("seraphs") having six wings.