Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Reign of Terror

The church got erected end of the 11th century and got consecrated during the reign of Louis VI (aka "Louis le Gros" - "Louis the Fat"). For a long time, the church and the cemetery around belonged to a priory of canons regular of Saint Augustin. Severely damaged and looted during the Hundred Years War, the church got repaired and rebuilt around 1460. It was burnt down a century later when the Huguenots ravaged the region. During the bloodcurdling "Reign of Terror" (1793/94) a certain Louis Pajot, self-proclaimed "Roi de La Guerche" publicly burnt all archives of the commune and melted down three of the church´s five bells. The two bells that survived were brought back by angry peasants. During the Industrial Revolution La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois developed into a centre of metallurgic, the population grew and the centre of the community moved to the canal. So a new, larger church got erected and St. Etienne lost the status of a parish church.

The church got erected end of the 11th century and got consecrated during the reign of Louis VI (aka "Louis le Gros" - "Louis the Fat"). For a long time, the church and the cemetery around belonged to a priory of canons regular of Saint Augustin. Severely damaged and looted during the Hundred Years War, the church got repaired and rebuilt around 1460. It was burnt down a century later when the Huguenots ravaged the region. During the bloodcurdling "Reign of Terror" (1793/94) a certain Louis Pajot, self-proclaimed "Roi de La Guerche" publicly burnt all archives of the commune and melted down three of the church´s five bells. The two bells that survived were brought back by angry peasants. During the Industrial Revolution La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois developed into a centre of metallurgic, the population grew and the centre of the community moved to the canal. So a new, larger church got erected and St. Etienne lost the status of a parish church.

The medieval history of Compiègne starts with a castle built by the Merovingian dynasty. Louis the Pious` son, Charles the Bald, renamed the town "Carolopolis". On the site of the olde Merovingian palace Charles founded the abbey "Notre-Dame de Carlopole" in 876. The abbey´s church was consecrated by Pope John VIII during a councial held here in 877. In 879 Louis the Stammerer, who had succeeded his father Charles, got buried here, as well as, 8 years later, Louis V, the last Carolingian monarch in West Francia. The abbey renamed "Abbaye Saint-Corneille" existed up to the French Revolution. Connected to the abbey was the parish curch Saint-Antoine, founded in 1199. The church was erected in the first half of the 13th century, but, due to severe damage during the Hundred Years' War, the church had to rebuilt in the 16th century in a homogenious Gothic style. When Pierre d’Ailly, author of "Imago Mundi", whose academic career started here, preached in this church, when Jeanne d’Arc prayed here, the interior of the church was different. Here the 16 members of the Carmel of Compiègne met to pray during the French Revolution. After their convent was surpressed, they had found shelter in a house neighbouring this church. They were arrested, taken to Paris, and sentenced to death. They were sent to the guillotine on 17 July 1794. Today they are known as the "Martyrs of Compiègne".

The Sainte-Chapelle ("Holy Chapel") was part of the Palais de la Cité, residence of the French Royals between 10th and 14th century. The chapel was built, to house Louis IX's vast collection of relics, including the Crown of Thorns, the Image of Edessa and the point of the "Holy Lance" - and many more prominent relics. Begun around 1239 and consecrated on 26 April 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Gothic architecture. The Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are the last remaining structures of the former Palais de la Cité. After the Royals moved out, the buildings were used for the kingdom´s administration. A blaze destroyed most of it in 1776. Between 1793 and 1795 the members of the Revolutionary Tribunal ("Tribunal révolutionnaire") met here. During this "Reign of Terror" about 2700 people were sentenced to death by the tribunal. Marie Antoinette, Georges Danton, Maximilien de Robespierre and many others were imprisoned here, waiting to ascend the scaffold. Today this is the Palais de Justice (and there is still a prison!), so the security checks are time consuming and many tourists stand in line, to get in. sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr