Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: male exhibitionist

Ferrara appears first in a document of the Lombard king Desiderius of 753 when he captured the town from the Exarchate of Ravenna. Later the Franks, after routing the Lombards, presented Ferrara to the Papacy in 754. In 988 Ferrara was ceded by the Church to the House of Canossa, but at the death of Matilda of Tuscany in 1115, it became a free commune. During the 12th century, the history of the town was marked by the wrestling for power between the Guelph Adelardi and the Ghibelline Salinguerra families. The Ghibellines won and in 1264 Obizzo II d'Este was proclaimed lifelong ruler of Ferrara. His rule marked the end of the communal period in Ferrara and the beginning of the Este rule, which lasted until 1598. The construction of the Cattedrale di San Giorgio began in the early 12th century when the city was taken by Matilda of Tuscany (aka "Matilde di Canossa"). When the new cathedral was consecrated in 1135 it was not completed at all. The lower part of the facade is Romanesque was probably built in the first half of the 11th century. The building process was continued a century later in Gothic style. The campanile was added to the cathedral in the second half of the 15th century, but never got completed. A "renovation" of the Ferrara Cathedral done in the early 18th century resulted in a demolition. Only the facade and the outer walls survived. The medieval interior (five aisles) and the five apses, that once existed are lost. Seen from this side is the 18th-century structure built into the old walls. Two slightly damaged male exhibitionists look down on the onlookers.

Not much is known about this church. Some scholars date the building mid 11th, most mid 12th century. It may have been built by the Knights Templar, but there is no document about it. It is a small Romanesque basilica, erected on a "Latin Cross" blueprint. Within the 19th century the church was modified. There are larger windows now and a roof, that now stretches over nave and the two aisles. This seems a little "strange". There is a grimacing huge man, who is naked. His testicles seem to hang down to his knees. On the right a kissing couple. Man on the left, woman (long skirt) on the right. Does the naked hulk stand for (sinful) lust, that may arouse, when the couple continues?

The single nave church was erected within the 12th century. The church got damaged during the Wars of Religions, when the bell tower, that stood above the choir, was completely destroyed. The facade has some extraordinary carvings. There are 23 roughly carved horse's heads. There are complex capitals - and above - a row of very fanciful corbels. I will uploud a few photos. A man biting (greedily) into a host (eucharistic bread) on the first sight. The second sight reveals the man is naked. Before a prudish vandal hammered off his genitals, the guy was ithyphallic - like many men around the church in Champagnolles, only about 3kms apart.

Vicofertile, located at the old Via Francigena, is meanwhile is a small suburb of the City of Parma. A church probably existed in Vicofertile already within the 9th century, but the church mentioned in a document from 1039 was smaller than the church seen here. Excavations found the foundations about 50cms under the floor of San Geminiano. Today´s church was erected around 1200. The roof burned down in 1325, but got rebuilt soon after. The church got modified a couple of times, but a a restoration undertaken in the early 20th century got rid of all interior Baroque additions. The capitals were probably created 1220/1230 - and all six are somehow enigmatic. Seen here is a strange bestiary of animals (left and right) and in the center a male exhibitionist presenting his enormous genital.