Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: psichostasis

Conques is a popular stop for all pilgrims traveling the Via Podiensis. This is a treat after having crossed the harsh Aubrac. I had started in Geneva in 2008 and I still remember my feelings, when I reached Conques after some weeks. A tiny convent existed here already in the 8th century. This grew into a very successful monastery, after the relics of St. Foy arrived in Conques through theft in 866. The relics were stolen by a monk from Conques, who had posed as a loyal monk in Agen for years. The arrival of the relics of St. Foy caused the pilgrimage route to shift to Conques. As the existing church was too small for all the pilgrims, a new, much larger church had to be constructed. It was completed by the end of the 11th century. As a large pilgrim´s church it had an ambulatory with five radiating chapels. A century later galleries were added over the aisle and the roof was raised over the transept and choir to allow people to circulate at the gallery level. This can still be done for an hour in the evening and is - absolutely breathtaking! The "main attraction" is probably the tympanum, a detail is seen here. The "Last Judgement" was carved around 1130 - and tells many stories. Here are the doors to heaven - and hell.

Waiting in line again in front of the western facade of Notre Dame. The cathedral had been erected between 1163 and 1250. Then the transepts seemed old fashioned and got rebuilt. This was finally done in 1363. This facade had been completed in 1225, the towers and the rose window in 1250. At that time Saint Denis was already 60 years old - elegant Laon about 10 years. In 1793 the cathedral was dedicated to the Cult of Reason, later to the Cult of the Supreme Being, before is was just used as a warehouse for the storage of food. Here is the main portal, well restored after the Huguenots and the sans-culottes´ vandalism. The nearby portal of the Sainte Chapelle (previous uploads) looks like a simplified copy of this.

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. Later the revolutionists tried to sell the ruined building. It was even discussed to knock it down. Reconstruction and restoration was done in the 1840s/1850s. The chapel has two floors, both have a portal. Seen here is the larger one. "The Last Judgement" is a "traditional" theme for 1240. The graves open, a psychostasia in the center between them. The hell is to the right, the heaven to the left. Christ, seated on a throne, flanked by two angels, who held the Crown of Thorns, the "Holy Lance" and the "True Cross". sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/