Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: multiple heads

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. - Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent of the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so long (Byzantine) Orthodox christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral was erected, over ruins of a Paleo-christian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 metres long by 25 metres wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had come to Otranto, to see the mosaic. I had planned to stay one night in Otranto, I spent three nights - and still had not seen all the details. I was so overwhelmed, that I took hundreds of photos, but the mosaic is "endless". I will upload only a couple. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometres south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated in many languages. I followed his theories. As the church is a parish church, there are benches placed on the mosaic floor. Only for the Sunday service, the ropes are open so that the parishioners can reach the benches. I stayed up to Sunday to mix with the locals. Horrible beasts and creepy creatures with multiple heads. They have obviously just escaped a nightmare and now run free.

Pavia once was the last stronghold of the Ostrogoths, but was conquered by the Lombards (aka Longobards) after a three-years-siege in 572. From the 7th century on Pavia was the capital of the Lombard kingdom. A chapel, dedicated to Saint Michel, existed here as part of the palace, when the Lombards ruled from here. When Frankish troops invaded Northern Italy and defeated the Lombard armee in 773, Charlemagne laid siege to Pavia. After taking the fortified town, Charlemagne crowned himself King of the Lombards. The former palace-chapel burnt down in 1005, about a century after the Hungarians (= "Magyars") had looted Pavia. The church seen here was begun in the 11th century and was completed by 1155. In 900 the chapel had seen the coronation of Louis III (aka "Louis the Blind", as he was blinded in 905 by Berengar). In the current church Frederick I (aka "Frederick Barbarossa") received the Iron Crown and the title of King of Italy. The basilica´s facade is dotted with carvings, but as it was built from sandstone, most carvings are very weathered. As the capitals flanking the main doors were carved from a harder stone, they are still in a good condition. San Michele Maggiore was probably a kind of prototype for the nearby San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro (previous uploads), there are many parallels. The mermaid seen here - has an identical (but younger) twin there. www.sanmichelepavia.it/html/en_home.html