Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: zodiacs

A monastery had been here since the 6th century, dedicated to the martyr St. Valerian, whose grave is in the crypt. It got raided by the Maurs and in 875 Charles the Bald offered the abbey to a group of homeless of monks from Normoutier as their monastery had been destroyed by the Normans. These monks carried the relics of St. Philibert with them, so for a while the abbey was shared by two communities, each dedicated to their own saint. After Hungarian troops had damaged the buildings in 936-37, the church got rebuild in the form we know it today. The construction lasted from the late 10th century to the early 12th century. It was consecrated in 1019, when it had a flat, wooden ceiling. A stone vault replaced the wooden ceiling in 1066-1108. I had been here many times before (and uploaded lots of photos) over the years, but I just had to stop - and take more shots. During excavations the remains of a larger mosaic from the 12th century was found. Seen are the zodiacs and the "Labours of the Months". Gemini

A monastery had been here since the 6th century, dedicated to the martyr St. Valerian, whose grave is in the crypt. It got raided by the Maurs and in 875 Charles the Bald offered the abbey to a group of homeless of monks from Normoutier as their monastery had been destroyed by the Normans. These monks carried the relics of St. Philibert with them, so for a while the abbey was shared by two communities, each dedicated to their own saint. After Hungarian troops had damaged the buildings in 936-37, the church got rebuild in the form we know it today. The construction lasted from the late 10th century to the early 12th century. It was consecrated in 1019, when it had a flat, wooden ceiling. A stone vault replaced the wooden ceiling in 1066-1108. I had been here many times before (and uploaded lots of photos) over the years, but I just had to stop - and take more shots. During excavations the remains of a larger mosaic from the 12th century was found. Seen are the zodiacs and the "Labours of the Months". IUNIUS

A monastery had been here since the 6th century, dedicated to the martyr St. Valerian, whose grave is in the crypt. It got raided by the Maurs and in 875 Charles the Bald offered the abbey to a group of homeless of monks from Normoutier as their monastery had been destroyed by the Normans. These monks carried the relics of St. Philibert with them, so for a while the abbey was shared by two communities, each dedicated to their own saint. After Hungarian troops had damaged the buildings in 936-37, the church got rebuild in the form we know it today. The construction lasted from the late 10th century to the early 12th century. It was consecrated in 1019, when it had a flat, wooden ceiling. A stone vault replaced the wooden ceiling in 1066-1108. I had been here many times before (and uploaded lots of photos) over the years, but I just had to stop - and take more shots. During excavations the remains of a larger mosaic from the 12th century was found. Seen are the zodiacs and the "Labours of the Months".

Lucca existed already in Etruscan times and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. The Diocese of Lucca dates back to the first century, legends tell, that St. Paulinus, a disciple of St. Peter, was the first Bishop of Lucca. In medieval times Lucca was the residence of the Margraves of Tuscany. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), Lucca constituted itself as an independent republic. Actually the "Republic of Lucca" existed from 1160 to 1805. The Cathedral of Saint Martin is the seat of the Archbishop of Lucca. The construction of the cathedral started in 1063, when Anselm (later Pope Alexander II) was bishop here. The western facade was begun in 1204 by Guido Bigarelli, who later sculpted (and signed!) the the octogonal baptismal font in the center of the Pisan Baptistery. He is one of the many gifted artists, that came from the area around the Lake Como and are known as "Comacine masters". The main theme of the reliefs of cathedral´s western wall, inside the portico, is the life of Saint Martin. Here are two more episodes (see previous upload for the other set). The left inscription reads "Martinus monach defuntum vivere fecit" (~ Monk Martinus gives life to a dead (man))". The right inscription reads "De monacho presul es tu Martine vocatus" (~ "From being a monk you were called to be a priest, Martin). Below these reliefs are the "Monthly Labors" including the zodiacs. DECEMBER, NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, SEPTE(M)B(ER), AUGUSTUS, JULIUS

Lucca existed already in Etruscan times and became a Roman colony in 180 BC. The Diocese of Lucca dates back to the first century, legends tell, that St. Paulinus, a disciple of St. Peter, was the first Bishop of Lucca. In medieval times Lucca was the residence of the Margraves of Tuscany. After the death of Matilda of Tuscany (1115), Lucca constituted itself as an independent republic. Actually the "Republic of Lucca" existed from 1160 to 1805. The Cathedral of Saint Martin is the seat of the Archbishop of Lucca. The construction of the cathedral started in 1063, when Anselm (later Pope Alexander II) was bishop here. The western facade was begun in 1204 by Guido Bigarelli, who later sculpted (and signed!) the the octogonal baptismal font in the center of the Pisan Baptistery. He is one of the many gifted artists, that came from the area around the Lake Como and are known as "Comacine masters". The main theme of the reliefs of cathedral´s western wall, inside the portico, is the life of Saint Martin. Here are two episodes. The left inscription reads "Ignis Adest Capiti Martino Sacra Litanti" (~ a flame appears on the head of Martin during the holy sacrifice (?)). The right inscription reads "Demone vexatum salvas Martine beate" (~ Blessed Martin saves a man chased by a devil). Below these reliefs are the "Monthly Labors" including the zodiacs. Seen here are JUNIUS, MAGIUS, APRILIS, MARTIUS, FEBRUARIUS, JANUARIUS