Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: nixe

"Notre-Dame d'Orcival" is a masterpiece of romanesque architecture in the Auvergne. Towering above the small village of Orcival (pop. 250) it was built within the second half of the 12th century on a steep slope. There are no proof records about the construction, as the archives were looted, but lots of legends are still around. The Virgin herself should have been here, drinking water from a certain spring. It was not the first church built on that place, that may even have been a special/holy place already during celtic times. The church was part of a small priory, belonging to La Chaise-Dieu and being a church of pilgrimage since the very beginning. Damaged (like Mozac) by the earthquakes (1478), it was reconstructed. During the Revolution the complete wooden furniture was burnt. The statue of the "Virgin in Majesty", created around 1170 and since then the center of The statue of the "Virgin in Majesty", created around 1170 and since then the center of the pilgrimage, was sealed inside a wall - and survived. The vast majority of the 231 capitals in and outside "Notre-Dame d'Orcival" depicts "corinthian" foliage. They are probably inspired by the ruins of a roman temple on the Puy de Dôme and the baths at Mont-Dore which were still standing at the time. I could not find any capital being thematically connected with the bible, like that one in Royat. Here is a mermaid holding her braids, accompanied by a bird (eagle?).

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The church is known for the carvings. Though some of these got damaged during the French Revolution, most of them are still in place. Size and the quality of some of them is really breathtaking. At least four different, very experienced stonemasons or carvers have worked here. One of these masters carved this smooth mermaid under the roof tiles. The mermaid is one of the many smaller carvings that dot the outer walls of the church.