Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: blessing

Molfetta was probably been founded by the Greeks around the 4th century BC. Later it was Roman and after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was ruled by the Goths, who reinforced the city walls in the response of raids of Saracene pirates. The settlement developed under the alternate dominion of the Byzantines and Longobards. The Normans occupied Molfetta mid 11th century. Under the Norman rule, Molfetta became, just like Bari and Brindisi, an important starting point during the period of the crusades. Hospitals got erected to care for returning crusaders and hospices to host people heading to the "Holy Land". - The "Duomo di San Corrado" was erected between the second half of the 12th and the first half of the 13th century on a cliff overlooking the sea. First dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, it is now dedicated to "San Corrado", patron saint of Molfetta. San Conrado (aka "Conrad of Bavaria", "Konrad von Bayern") was a son of Henry the Black, Duke of Bavaria. Conrad was a disciple of Bernard of Clairvaux and a Cistercian monk. He journeyed to the "Holy Land" with the purpose of living there as a hermit but had to return. Returning to Apulia he stopped near Bari, where he lived as a hermit. The Duomo is a very special example of Apulian Romanesque architecture, as it is the largest of the Romanesque churches with the central nave covered with three domes. At some time there must have existed more carvings along the outside walls. This elegant and intricate carving may well have been the centre of a larger work. Christ, holding a bible in a blessing gesture, is seated on a throne, flanked by two angels swinging censers. Note the different pillars.

The small church was the chapel of the medieval castle, that today is completely lost. It was devoted to St. Laurentius over the the first centuries, but the devotion changed to St. Leonhard in the early 16th century. Since then it has served the hamlet as a parish church. A chain spans all around the nave. The chain is a symbol of St. Leonhard. As he is not only the patron saint for prisoners, but as well for horses, it may well be that the first chain was made from horseshoes, votive offerings left here after the horses were given a special St.Leonhard-blessing. The church was consecrated in 1190 by the Bishop of Regensburg, representing his collegue from Eichstaett, who was not available, being on the cruisade at that time. A frieze of 13 heads runs around the apse, a very elaborate work for a small, rural church. The peasants around wondered about these carvings over the centuries and a legend was told, that a giant had built this church. The tympanum of St. Leonhard. A blessing Jesus flanked by two men. As Jesus and both men hold books, the two may stand for two evangelists. The carving style is kind of "soft" and elegant for 1150/1170. In the archivolt above the tympanum are heads - and lions.

The small church was the chapel of the medieval castle, that today is completely lost. It was devoted to St. Laurentius over the the first centuries, but the devotion changed to St. Leonhard in the early 16th century. Since then it has served the hamlet as a parish church. A chain spans all around the nave. The chain is a symbol of St. Leonhard. As he is not only the patron saint for prisoners, but as well for horses, it may well be that the first chain was made from horseshoes, votive offerings left here after the horses were given a special St.Leonhard-blessing. The church was consecrated in 1190 by the Bishop of Regensburg, representing his collegue from Eichstaett, who was not available, being on the cruisade at that time. A frieze of 13 heads runs around the apse, a very elaborate work for a small, rural church. The peasants around wondered about these carvings over the centuries and a legend was told, that a giant had built this church. The portal of St. Leonhard. In the tympanum a blessing Jesus flanked by two men. As Jesus and both men hold books, the two may stand for two evangelists. The carving style is kind of "soft" and elegant for 1150/1170. In the archivolt above the tympanum are heads - and lions. The church is padlocked - and, as you can see from the blue/white symbol, under the "Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict" from 1956.

Gensac-la-Pallue is a small town, about 10kms southeast of Cognac, with a population of 1500. Saint Martin is the large parish church of the town. It is not known, who financed this church, when it was erected within the 12th century (the choir and tower were added a century later) and there are no obvious connections to one of the important abbeys of the area, but for a parish church, built on swampy grounds, this is a pretty prestigious structure. Saint-Martin has a western facade, that is extraordenary, as not many churches in the Poitou have three horizontal registers/levels. There is a long frieze-like band extending all over the facade. This frieze is pretty weathered in parts after 800 years, but other more sheltered stretches seem untouched by the centuries. In the center of a jungle on entwined vines a monk (?) has risen from his chair and now blesses the onlooker.