Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Fleur-de-Lys

The Sainte-Chapelle ("Holy Chapel") was part of the Palais de la Cité, residence of the French Royals between 10th and 14th century. The chapel was built, to house Louis IX's vast collection of relics, including the Crown of Thorns, the Image of Edessa and the point of the "Holy Lance" - and many more prominent relics. Saint Louis (aka Louis IX) had purchased the "Passion Relics" from Baldwin II, unfortunate emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, for 135,000 livres. The money was actually paid to the Venetians, to whom the relics had been pawned. Begun around 1239 and consecrated in 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Gothic architecture. A fire damaged the chapel 1630, that got restored after that. The chapel suffered its most grievous destruction during the French Revolution, when the steeple got removed and many of the precious reliquaries were melted down. Reconstruction and restoration was done in the 1840s/1850s. Here are more than 600m² of stained glass, about 1/3 was destroyed and had to be replaced within the 19th century. The light is breathtaking! The sights are neck breaking. This is a fantastic place. This was a sensation. Absolutely impressing, when it was completed - and it still is. Here is a small detail. A King, seated on a throne, listens to a visitor. The King´s advisor stands behind him and looks over his shoulder. The king holds a scepter - with a Fleur-de-Lys. The Fleur-de-Lys, legendary connected to Clovis I, the first King of the Franks stood as a symbol of the King's divinely approved right to rule. Since Robert II (aka "Robert the Pious") it was used by all Kings from the House of Capet. Louis IX was one of them. sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/

When Riwallon le Roux returned from the Holy Land to Dinan after the First Crusade, he immediately started to build this church in 1132. There is no proof about this, but the first written document from 1131 noted down, that Riwallon´s nephew Alain de Dinan transfers the ownership of this church to the Abbey of Saint-Jacut (20kms north). Following this, the Basilica of Saint-Sauveur was part of a priory, dependent from the abbey. There are only two Romanesque capitals in the basilica, they are near the facade - and probably date back to the first church. When Riwallon le Roux returned to Dinan from the First Crusade, he may have told the sculptor, how camels look like. Between the camels is a "Fleur-de-Lys".

This is the entrance to the chapter house of the former "Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville", founded by a chamberlain of William the Conqueror, and in existence upto the French Revolution. The abbey church serves the parish since then. Most buildings of the abbey got demolished after the Revolution, but the chapter house survived. I had been here about 10 years ago, when this part of the abbey was closed. This time I had more luck - and was surprised by originality and quality of the carvings. A crowned king on a horse and a person on the ground. An popular icon in medieval times, mostly interpreted as Constantine the Great, trampling down heathenism, or St. James, leading the Reconquista. This one is different, as to the left a queen (?) presents the "Fleur-de-Lys". Actually the couple may be Clovis I and his wife Clotilde. The legend tells, that after the Battle of Tolbiac (496), an angel gave the lilies to Clotilde. As Clovis got baptised after the battle there may be a connection to the previous capital.