Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Saint Mayeul

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals, created by at least two different workshops at different times. Here is a capital carved by the "older" studio. The style is very rough. It looks a bit like Alexander the Great going up to heaven in a basket, but there are no engins/griffins.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals, created by at least two different workshops at different times. Here is a more complex (and damaged) one. Bulging eyes!

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals, created by at least two different workshops at different times. Here is a more complex (and damaged) one. Devouring beasts?

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals. Saint Benignus´ sacrophagus is empty. I learned, that the bones "got lost" during the Revolution.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals. Saint Benignus´ sacrophagus is empty. I learned, that the bones "got lost" during the Revolution.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt. There are some nicely carved capitals. Saint Benignus´ sacrophagus is empty. I learned, that the bones "got lost" during the Revolution. The dome over the central rotunda.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt, seen here. There are some nicely carved capitals. Saint Benignus´ sacrophagus is empty. I learned, that the bones "got lost" during the Revolution.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt, seen here. There are some nicely carved capitals. Saint Benignus´ sacrophagus is empty. I learned, that the bones "got lost" during the Revolution.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt, seen here.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt.

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne was the church of the Abbey of St. Benignus. The church, erected in Gothic style 1280-1325, became the seat of the Bishopric of Dijon after the French Revolution. The first church here was a basilica built over the grave of Saint Benignus, who in the third century had come to Gaul from Smyrna as a missionary. He worked successfully in Burgundy - and got martyred. His sarcophagus was placed in a crypt, built by Saint Gregory of Langres in 511, a basilica over that crypt was completed in 535. In 990 Saint Mayeul, Abbot of Cluny, appointed William of Volpiano the new abbot here. William immidiatly started withe the construction of a new Romanesque church, that - instead of an apse - had a rotunda, 17 metres in diameter. In 1137 a fire destroyed most of the town and damaged the monastery and its church. The repaired building was consecrated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. In 1272 the crossing tower collapsed, destroying the whole of the upper church and severely damaging the subterranean one, and smashing some of the supporting columns of the rotunda. In 1280 the construction of a new Gothic abbey church started. This is the church seen today. What was left of the rotunda was destroyed after the Revolution. What remains is the lowest storey, which was excavated in the 19th century and has since been reworked as a crypt.

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 fork beards and a lion in between them a lion (?) with a very long split tongue.

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. A "Master of the Beasts" handling two quadrupeds (lions?). Above him are two large birds with interlocking their long necks.

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. In the 15th century a gothic vault was installed over the central nave. The structure is still "clearly" Romanesque. It got recently renovated. Here is the left of the 5 aisles.

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. The tombs of Saint Mayeul et Saint Odilon are back in the church since 2009. 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. In 1793 the tombs got desecrated during by French revolutionaries, who burnt the relics in public. During excavations in the early 2000s bits and pieces of the tombs were found - and so it got be reconstructed.

The parish church "Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption" in the center of Tamerville has a remarkable Romanesque tower. The church (and the tower) were erected mid 12th century, but the church got enlarged and altered over the time. The church was dedicated to Saint Mayeul (aka "Mayeul de Cluny", "Majolus of Cluny"). Saint Mayeul, important abbot of Cluny, built Cluny II. There must have been a connection to the Burgundy in the early times. The two chapels, that were added to the church, are dedicated to Saint Jacques and Saint Sulpice. The statue, seen here, may depict Saint Sulpice, who in real life had two arms and never used mascara and lipstick. He was a Bishop!

The parish church "Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption" in the center of Tamerville has a remarkable Romanesque tower. The church (and the tower) were erected mid 12th century, but the church got enlarged and altered over the time. The church was dedicated to Saint Mayeul (aka "Mayeul de Cluny", "Majolus of Cluny"). Saint Mayeul, important abbot of Cluny, built Cluny II. There must have been a connection to the Burgundy in the early times. A gentleman with an extraordinary beard. An Anglo-Saxon warrior? A twin of the weathered beard puller under the roof) Another "Sweyn Forkbeard"?