Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: giant

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has a long history, that starts around 8000 BC, but later there were Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman periods. After the Roman Empire had fallen apart the Vandals tried to take over the island but failed. Finally, the Ostrogoths took possession. Mid of the 6th century Sicily was conquered by troops of the Byzantine Empire. After the advent of Islam, Sicily got attacked by the Arab forces. Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century. A Muslim army was sent to the island in 827 but met with much resistance. So it took a century to conquer it and even later revolts constantly occurred In 1038 the Byzantines invaded the island supported by Norman mercenaries, led by Roger. In 1072, after the siege of Palermo, most of Sicily was under Norman control. Roger´s son Roger II raised the status +of the island to a kingdom in 1130. During this period, the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and powerful, The court of Roger II became melting out of culture from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, artists, and artisans. Muslims, Jews, Greeks, Lombards, and Normans cooperated and created some extraordinary buildings. In 1186 the last descendant of Roger, Constance of Sicily married Emperor Henry VI, the second son of Barbarossa. So the crown of Sicily was passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Frederick II, the only son of Constance, was crowned King of Sicily at the age of four in 1198. He became "Stupor Mundi", one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. - William II of Sicily built from 1172 here a fort-like complex of buildings, which included a cathedral, an archiepiscopal palace, a royal palace and a Benedictine monastery. In 1183 the monastery became the seat of the archdiocese of Monreale. The town then developed around this complex. According to a legend, William fell asleep while hunting. The Holy Virgin appeared to him in a dream, suggesting him to build a church here. After removing a tree, a treasure was found, whose coins were used to finance the construction. Well, it is much more likely that Monreale was founded in competition with the bishop of Palermo, who had commissioned the large Cathedral of Palermo. This would explain the vast dimensions and the splendour of the "Duomo di Monreale" and the adjoining cloister, the only structures of the large complex, that survived the times. The cloister (completed ~ 1200) measures 47x47 metres. Each side has 26 arches resting on columns. The carvings of the capitals (and the columns) are very detailed and complex, the themes vary and some capitals are "hard to read" and interprete. None of the scholars I have read had an explanation for this icon. Just a lion, a servant, a queen and a giant? Or the Assumption of Mary?

Saint-Genès, erected in the 11th and 12th century, was the church of the priory Saint-Etienne, dependent from the important Abbaye Notre-Dame in Déols. This abbey, now in ruins, had been founded in 917 and developed into one of the most powerful regional institutions. It was one of the first in the Cluniac network. Odo of Cluny (+ 942) was abbot of three monasteries: Cluny, Massy and Deols. This is important, as Saint-Genès has architectural parralells to Cluny II and Cluny III. The building got severely damaged, when Louis VII (aka "Louis le Jeune", 1. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine) burnt down the town in 1152 during a feud with Abbo II de Déols, a supporter of Henri Plantagenêt (aka Henry II, "Curtmantle", 2. husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine). In 1569 the Huguenots set fire here - and many restorations followed that. During the French Revolution the bell tower was destroyed and the church became a "Temple of Reason". The carvings inside were created by (at least) two different workshops. There are rough and archaic capitals, that are probably older than the more elaborated, "sophisticared" ones. This one is probably from a third workshop. A huge (winged?), (crowned?) snake, that looks like the serpent in Paradise", is devouring a quadruped (dog), the hind feet are already in the snake´s mouth, while the head of the dog (?) is attacked by a second, smaller snake. To the side stands a giant swinging a club. He will kill the snake. Most of the capital´s left side is lost. There may be two small men - and a smaller snake..

Arnaud Méthivier (aka "Nano"), playing the arcodion from the dark sky above, smootly approached the giant and got a hug. www.arnaudmethivier.com/ Here is a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=afm990KKIjk

Finally the giant reached the Roman "Arch of Germanicus" and passed the arch. Accordeon music was in the air, as Arnaud Méthivier (aka "Nano") was waiting for him already.

The giant walked on and approached the Roman "Arch of Germanicus", where thousands of spectators had gathered. If you want to have such an extravaganza on your next garden party, contact: www.cie-lhommedebout.fr/

When the giant finally crossed the bridge, leading over the Charente, there were more explosions, but he just walked through the dense clouds of smoke. If you want to have such an extravaganza for your next garden party, contact: www.cie-lhommedebout.fr/

BANG! BANG! BANG! A couple of load explosions on the southern banks of the Charente. Lots of smoke in a small alley and cracking bengal lights. A firework had started. Surpisingly for all stunned spectators a giant walked slowly out the dense smoke in the alley and set his foot on the main road, that runs parallel to the river. Here is a video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LfyP-6cnWk If you want to have this extravaganza on your next garden party, contact: www.cie-lhommedebout.fr/