Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Psichostasia

León was founded in 68 AD for a Roman legion from which they were supposed to pacify the rebellious mountain dwellers of Asturias and Cantabria. The name of the settlement that was then developed is based on a refined form of the Latin word "legio". After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was conquered by the Visigoths and in 712 by the Moors. In 856, after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the city was repopulated. Ordoño II made León the capital of his kingdom of León in 914. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, León was an important stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Traders and artisans settled in the suburbs and had a strong influence on the development of the city from the 13th century onwards. In the early Middle Ages, the city became prosperous through the cattle trade. However, from the 16th century until the 19th century, the economy and population declined. The main construction period of the cathedral was between 1255 and 1303. The first architect was "Master Enrique", who had previously built the transept and nave of Burgos Cathedral between 1243 and 1260. "Master Enrique" directed the construction from 1255 to 1277, using Reims Cathedral as a model. The experience he gained in Burgos prompted him to take a risk, which paid off centuries later, as many openings later had to be bricked up for stability reasons. In the middle of the 19th century, the structure was on the verge of collapse and had to be completely restored. Reconstruction lasted from 1859 to 1901. In 1302, the work was apparently stopped, probably for financial reasons. This may also be the reason for the comparatively short nave with only five bays, for the lack of a tower in the transept. The upper parts of the cathedral were not completed until 1439. The five-part porch on the west façade was built in the mid to late 13th century. The design of this sophisticated three-portal complex was based on the most important model of the time, the transept portals of Chartres Cathedral. The tympanum shows the Last Judgment. In the centre of the lower level, St. Michael stands holding the scales. After the "weighing of the souls", the saved ones go to St. Peter on the left (there is even music), while the damned are thrown into the pots of hell on the right.

Duke Frederick II the One-Eyed (1090-1147) of Swabia built a hunting lodge on an island in the Moder. The settlement that grew around was the beginning of Haguenau. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa fortified the settlement and gave it town rights, important for further development, in 1154. On the site of the hunting lodge, he founded an imperial palace he regarded as his favorite residence. In this palace were preserved the "Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire", i.e. the jeweled imperial crown, scepter, imperial orb, and sword of Charlemagne. The Romanesque church building began under Duke Frederick II the One-Eyed of Swabia and replaced an older Romanesque chapel. In 1143 the Strasbourg bishop granted the construction of the church, which was completed in 1189. The architecture recalls the style of the Hirsau Abbey which influenced the Romanesque architecture of Swabia. A Gothic choir was added to the Romanesque nave, which remained unaffected except for the vaults that were inserted later. The choir was consecrated in 1283. The winged altar was created in the 19th century by adding two late Gothic paintings as wings to the centerpiece depicting the "Last Judgement". This is a work by Diebold Martin, a contemporary of Grünewald. The "Weighing of Souls" and the Mouth of Hell. The "Weighing of Souls" and the Hellmouth. It looks like the better-off Petrus is taking to heaven while the lower class enters hell.

Duke Frederick II the One-Eyed (1090-1147) of Swabia built a hunting lodge on an island in the Moder. The settlement that grew around was the beginning of Haguenau. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa fortified the settlement and gave it town rights, important for further development, in 1154. On the site of the hunting lodge, he founded an imperial palace he regarded as his favorite residence. In this palace were preserved the "Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire", i.e. the jeweled imperial crown, scepter, imperial orb, and sword of Charlemagne. The Romanesque church building began under Duke Frederick II the One-Eyed of Swabia and replaced an older Romanesque chapel. In 1143 the Strasbourg bishop granted the construction of the church, which was completed in 1189. The architecture recalls the style of the Hirsau Abbey which influenced the Romanesque architecture of Swabia. A Gothic choir was added to the Romanesque nave, which remained unaffected except for the vaults that were inserted later. The choir was consecrated in 1283. The winged altar was created in the 19th century by adding two late Gothic paintings as wings to the centerpiece depicting the "Last Judgement". This is a work by Diebold Martin, a contemporary of Grünewald.

Gdańsk is mentioned the Vita of Saint Adalbert of Prague who baptised the inhabitants of "urbs Gyddannyzc" in 997. Later the site was a duchy of Poland. In 1224/25, merchants from Lübeck were invited Significant German influence did not appear until the 14th century, after the takeover of the city by the Teutonic Knights. In 1300, the town had an estimated population of 2,000. Low on funds, the Pomeranian Samborides lent the settlement to Brandenburg, although they planned to give it to Poland. Poland threatened to intervene, and the Brandenburgians left the town. Subsequently, the city was taken by Danish princes in 1301. The Teutonic Knights were hired by Polish nobles to drive out the Danes. In 1308, the town was taken by the Teutonic Knights. Primary sources record a large massacre carried out by the Knights against the population. In 1358, Danzig joined the Hanseatic League. After a series of Polish-Teutonic Wars, the Order had to acknowledge that it would hold Pomerelia as a fief from the Polish Crown. The city thrived as a result of increased exports via the Vistula River trading routes. While under the control of the Teutonic Order German migration increased. A new war broke out in 1409, culminating in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The city came under the control of the Kingdom of Poland. Only a year later, with the Peace of Thorn, it returned to the Teutonic Order. In 1440, the city participated in the foundation of the "Prussian Confederation", an organisation opposed to the Teutonic Knights. Upon the request of the organisation King Casimir IV of Poland reincorporated the territory to the Kingdom of Poland in 1454. This led to a war between Poland and the Teutonic Order. Casimir IV of Poland granted the town the Great Privilege. With this, the town was granted full autonomy and protection by the King of Poland. The privilege removed tariffs and taxes on trade within Poland, Lithuania and Ruthenia. Gaining privileged access to Polish markets, the seaport prospered while simultaneously trading with the other Hanseatic cities. Being the largest and one of the most influential cities of Poland, it enjoyed voting rights during the royal election period in Poland. In the 1575 election of a king to the Polish throne, Danzig supported Maximilian II in his struggle against Stephen Báthory. Stephen became monarch but the city shut its gates against him. After the 6 months siege of Danzig in 1577 the city's army was defeated. A compromise was reached: Stephen confirmed the city's special status and its privileges. The city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid the enormous sum of 200,000 guldens in gold as payoff. During the Reformation, most German-speaking inhabitants adopted Lutheranism. The "Battle of Westerplatte" was the first battle of the German invasion of Poland, marking the start of WW II in Europe. The historic city centre of Gdansk was 90% destroyed at the end of WWII. It was reconstructed by Poles at great expense and today attracts tourists. According to tradition in 1243 Duke Swietopelk had a wooden church built where the Bazyliką Mariacką is now. Construction of a new hall church on a Romanesque predecessor began in 1343. By 1447 the eastern part of the church was finished, and the tower was raised by two floors in the years 1452–1466. From 1485 the work was continued by Hans Brandt and after 1496, the church was finally finished under Heinrich Haetzl In the course of the Reformation most Danzigers adopted Lutheranism. After a short wave of turbulent religious altercations in 1525 and 1526 the authorities favored a smooth transition to Lutheran religious practice. In 1529 the first Lutheran sermon was given here. From 1536 on both Lutheran services and Catholic masses were held. After King Sigismund II Augustus had granted Danzig the religious privilege of celebrating communion with both bread and wine in 1557, the City Council ended Catholic masses in all Danzig churches except St. Mary's, where Catholic masses continued until 1572. The "Sąd Ostateczny" (Last Judgment) is a triptych painted by Hans Memling in Bruges between 1467 and 1471. The original is the National Museum in Gdańsk. A copy is on display in the basilica. The work was commissioned by Angola di Jacopo Tani from the Bruges branch of the Medici bank and was originally intended for the family chapel of San Michele in Badia Fiesolana near Florence. In 1473, while being transported to Italy aboard a galley, it was captured by the Danzig caper Paul Beneke commanding a ship named "Peter of Danzig". The owners of the caper ship donated Memling's altarpiece to the Marienkirche. A lengthy lawsuit against the Hanseatic League demanded its return to Italy, but that was never finalized. In the Napoleonic era was transported to the Louvre in Paris as a war trophy. Later it was brought to Berlin and finally returned to Gdansk in 1817. At the end of WW II Memling's work was taken by the Germans to Thuringia, where it fell into the hands of the Red Army. As a war trophy, it was exhibited in the Leningrad Hermitage. In 1958 it finally returned to Gdansk. The triptych depicts the Last Judgment. The central panel shows Jesus sitting in judgment on the world, while St Michael the Archangel is weighing souls.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end if the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. There are many interesting capitals. Here is a "Weighing of Souls" (aka "Psichostasia"). Archangel Michael weighs the soul in a scale the good and bad deeds, while the devil intervenes, using trickery to make the scale fall on his side and take the soul to Hell. The small body symbolizes the soul. I have already uploaded lots of photos from previous visits, so I will just add a few.

The church "San Carlo di Negrentino", originally dedicated to S. Ambrogio Vecchio, is located isolated facing a cliff that opens onto a vast panorama. A mule track led here from the Gotthard Pass over the Narapass to the Blenio Valley and to Bellinzona led past here near a deep gorge. The two-aisled church is first mentioned in writing in 1214, but goes back to an earlier time. It was created in two construction phases. The original Romanesque apse hall from the 11th century was probably extended in the 13th century in the south by a similar, but narrower room with a smaller apse. At that time the campanile was built on the north side of the building. The large fresco over the door depicts Archangel Michael and the "Weighing of the Souls".

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Many capitals line nave. Here is a "Weighing of Souls" (aka "Psichostasia"). Archangel Michael weighs the soul in a scale the good and bad deeds, while the devil intervenes, using trickery to make the scale fall on his side and take the soul to Hell. The small body symbolizes the soul.

Erected by monks of a near Cistercian abbey in the 12th century, the church, as well as the (lost) "hopital" served the pilgrims, that walked the Via Francigena to Rome (and back home). It was modified over the centuries, but a renovation in the 1930 brought back the Romanesque structure, that it was originally. San Biagio has an extraordenary tympanum. Seen is the "Weighing of souls" (= Psichostasia). Saint Michael weighs the souls in a scale the good and bad deeds, while the devils intervenes, using trickery to make the scale fall on his side and take the soul to Hell. Small heads symbolize the souls. On the left side of the scale seems to be the soul of a monk (tonsur). The soul on the far right - is already on the way to eternal damnation. The Weighing of Souls can often be found in France cand Spain along the "caminos" to Santiago de Compostella, but is not that often in Italy. Sergio Stocchi ("Italia romanica"), attributes this work to the workshop of Benedetto Antelami and dates it to the end of the 12th century.