Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: braids

Through Charlemagne, the mission base here became a bishop's see in 804. The Bishop was granted market, minting and customs rights by King Otto III in 989. He held the secular power in the Harzgau and thus over the inhabitants of Halberstadt. The first cathedral was consecrated in 992. By 1068, there was already an emerging merchant class, under which the city began to emancipate itself from control by the bishop's see around about 1105. In 1146, possibly the first Jews arrived in Halberstadt coming from Halle. In 1189 Jews persecuted during the Third Crusade reached the city. In 1261, the first episcopal letter of protection is documented for them. Henry the Lion destroyed the city, cathedral and cathedral castle in 1179 in the course of a feud by setting a major fire. In 1199 the construction of the city wall is mentioned for the first time, which lasted until 1236. Between 1236 and 1239, the construction of the new cathedral began. In 1241, a town hall for the city is mentioned for the first time; moreover, the city already had its own seal at this time. In 1343 the Jews were attacked by the Counts of Mansfeld and Regenstein and fled, a decade later the new so-called "Judendorf" became the first closed Jewish settlement in the city. The Liebfrauenkirche is one of the three main churches in Halberstadt, along with the cathedral and the Martinikirche. It is located west of the cathedral. It is one of the few surviving four-tower basilicas from the Romanesque period. In 1005, Bishop Arnulf founded a collegiate monastery, which became of national importance by the end of the 15th century. According to recent research, the oldest preserved parts of the church, the basements of the west facade, date from after 1089. The three-aisled pillar basilica was (re)built almost throughout the 12th century. The baptistery was added around 1170. The portal of the church and the western towers with rhombic roofs date from the 13th century. In 1661 the church was redesigned in the Baroque style, the medieval paintings were whitewashed in accordance with the Protestant simplicity. Also in the 17th century, the stone rood screen from 1230 was removed and replaced by a cast iron one. During the Seven Years' War and the period of occupation under Napoleon, the Church briefly served as a prison, ammunition production site and weapons store. The choir barriers, dating from around 1200/1210, feature unique stucco figures of the 12 apostles, Mary and Christ in almost life-size full relief. The brick barriers are 2.15 m high and are surmounted by wooden arcades. The north and south barriers each have stucco figures 1.14 m to 1.20 m high in the seven blind arcades. In the center of the southern part of the chancel is a scene of Mary with Child surrounded by six apostles. The head of Jesus has been lost. These figures do not show the usual strict symbolic restraint of the 12th century, but are characterized by real physicality, harmonious movements and natural, relaxed sitting. Mary is strictly frontal, while the apostles turn to each other in conversation.

The church, dedicated to St. Ägidius (= "Saint Gilles") was mentioned the first time in 1169, though a legend tells, that it was founded by Saint Hemma of Gurk. Rebuilt after a fire in 1354 it has been dependent from the Canons of Gurk upto 1781. It is located in the center of the village´s graveyard. The portal, protected by a narthex, has a tympanum, depicting the "Veil of Veronica", a frescoe dated 1420/30. The capitals on the sides, that flank the door, are Romanesque. A bearded man and a woman wearing long braids. They hvae a very serious look.

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. After all the corbels (see previous uplouds) here is only one capital. A lady in a long dress with braids, flanked by two gentlemen. She has a somehow optimistic facial expression. Mouth open. Talking or laughing.

A Benedictian monastery was founded by Hiberno-Scottish monks in Regensburg already around 1070. Soon after, the convent moved to a place just outside the city walls and in started to erect first buildings. The first church, consecrated in 1120, was of such a poor workmanship, that the convent decided to tear it down (except one apse and the flanking towers) and restart the process. The church of today was completed before 1200. It is one of the most important Romanesque structures in Bavaria. The abbey was a hub for the Irish/Scottish mission to central Europe. Daughter establishments of St. Jakob were founded in Vienna (1155), Erfurt (1136), Wuerzburg (1138), Nuremberg (1140), Constance (1142), Eichstaett (1148), Memmingen (1178), Kiev (!) (late 12th century) and Kelheim (13th century). WHile the first monks and abbots were Irish, the Scottish period started after the Reformation with Scottish abbot Ninian Vincet (1577-1592). A century later Scottish priests were educated here to do missionary work back in Scotland. Abbot Benedikt Aburthnot (1737-1820) could avoid the secularisation in 1802 by making clear, that the monastery was a Scottish (not at all Bavarian!) national treasure. It took upto 1814 to incorporate the Scottish monastery into the Bavarian sovereignty. Monastic life finally ended here in 1862, when the buildings were taken over by the bishop, who 10 years later founded a still existing seminary here. The northern portal ("Schottenportal") is one of the most important (and largest) Romanesque works of art in Germany. It occupies a third of the church´s northern wall and is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically, plus a small frieze that tops the central arch (the vertical center). While most authors reckon, that Irish masters created this portal, Marcel Durliat sees parallels to works in Northern Italy, created by the Comacine masters ("Magistri Comacini"). He even connects this portal to the carvings in Linden and Remagen. The interpretation of such a large and cryptic portal has been controversial since the beginning, what means the 19th century, as only since then Romanesque carvings were seen as works of art (mostly). There was even a theory claiming that such a carving could not have been done during the 12th/13th century, and that it probably was added to the church later. The time of origin is not disputed any longer, but the meaning of figures and symbols. Richard Strobel ("Romanik in Altbayern") has no hard facts, but found out, that left (eastern) side stands for the "Good", while the right side stands for the "Evil". This meanwhile is undisputed. This is the largest "third" of the left side. In the center a (headless) Virgin, having Christ on her lap. She holds an apple in her hand, a symbol of the "New Eve". The Virgin flanked by two mythical pairs. The left couple seems to be floating. The right person is bearded and wears two braids.The couple to the right seems to be in a beardpulling gesture, but is not. The left person is female (long braids) - and her husband (beard) obviously strokes her under the chin. Above them are (under the arches) two dogs - not three. Below them a large winged dragon, devouring a lion. In the center, below the dragon is a mermaids (note the tails), placed on a very weathered lion - and to the right another person riding a weathered lion.

The parish church of the small village Rots was a dependency of the abbey Abbaye Saint-Ouen de Rouen, founded by the merovingian nobility in the 7th century, in medieval times. The nave dates back to the 12th century, while the Gothic transept and the choir are younger. The structure of church, situated in the center of the graveyard, suffered severely by a "reconstruction" of the late 19th century, when large parts were just rebuilt, and the devastation during the Battle of Normandy (1944), when the church was hit by shells. There just was a person with a long braid (previous upload), but this lady, placed on a capital, has the longest braids, I have ever seen.

Only about 6kms north of the wonderful Romanesque church in Rioux (see previuos uploads) is Saint-Trojan in the center of Rétaud. Both churches seem to be closely related in many ways. They shared a very similar floorplan, when they were erected end of the 12th century. It looks like only one workshop worked in both villages. Just like in Rioux there is not much known, about the history of the building, that as well may have served as a priory church. Another capital in the rough, but pretty unique style of Saint-Trojan. The carvings is about the old tale "The girl with the long braids". Most of the tale got lost over the time, but swedish author Astrid Lindgren still knew parts of it, when she wrote "Pippi on Pilgrimage", titled in French "Fifi Pèlerine ".

Saint-Pierre, parish church of Champagnolles (pop. 500), got erected on the floorplan of a Latin Cross in the second half of the 12th century. To enrich the floorplan, semicircular absidioles were added in the east. The builders did not invest much artistic creativity into the portal or the interior, as only some rough capitals can be found there. They obviously concentrated on the rich decoration of eastern walls of Saint-Pierre. All around the apses are dozends of carved mystic corbels and capitals. This church is known for "rude" carvings, and after having uploaded exhibitionists, megaphalli, kisses and couples, this mermaid marks the end of my stay in Champagnolles. She has lost her fins, but still has wonderful braids - and bright eyes.