Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: horseman

"Santa María la Real" is one of the highlights for all people following the "Camino Aragonés" - since about 800 years. The facade is impressing it may take hours, to find out the many details. I stayed an extra day, when I had reached the town, just to see the shadows movig over the carvings. A church did exist here already in 1131 next to the bridge crossing the river Aragon. It was transferred by Alfonso I to the "Knights Hospitaller" (aka "Order of Saint John", later "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta"). The apse is the oldest part of the structure and probably dates back to that time. The nave and the breathtaking Southern Portal of Santa María la Real were created late 12th/13th century. I have uploaded a "total overview" earlier and will now focus on some details. The horseman trampling down a victim has many "cousins" France and can often be seen along the old chemins and caminos. In the Poitou, the rider is seen as Constantine the Great , while in Aquitaine, the character is seen as St. Jaques is seen as "matamoro".

A collegiate had been founded here in 1039. A settlement existed probably since Roman times. "Faye" obviously derived from "fagus", the Roman word for "beech". Within the 12th century the small church of the collegiate, placed on top of a hill, got replaced by the large and prestigious "Saint-Georges", that today serves the small parish of Faye-la-Vineuse. The collegiate suffered during the Wars of Religion, when the church got severely damaged. It got completely renovated end of the 19th century. The capitals around the crossing are carved in a "soft" Romanesque style. Some of these scenes are very dynamic. The horseman on the left wears a turban and holds curved sword ("scimitar"). He is persued and gets attacked by a cavalier with a helmet and a cross on his shield. This is - the Reconqista!

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. This church is very long and has a wide ambulatory. It could surely host large groups of pilgrims. When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish. Saint-Pierre has an extraordinary density of medieval carvings. Most of these works are well preserved. Three horsemen ride around the capital on are rather small horses.

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. This church is very long and has a wide ambulatory. It could surely host large groups of pilgrims. When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish. Saint-Pierre has an extraordinary density of medieval carvings. Most of these works are well preserved. An armed horseman is in the center of the capital, the stoic guy by his side is attacked by a lion, but shows no defense. On the right side of the capital (not visible from this pov) a dragon awaits the rider. Below the capital is the huge head of a frightening lion, ready to jump down to the onlookers.

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. The western facade and the narthex are the youngest parts of the structure. When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish. The very damaged horseman, probably vandalized during the French Revolution. Horsemen can often be found in the Poitou-Charente (eg. Melle, Benet, Surgères, Parthenay). It is widely believed that these equestrian sculptures depict Constantine the Great trampling down heathenism. In Southern France and Spain, St. James/St. Jaques is often seen in that pose, supporting the reconquista as "matamoro".

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. The western facade and the narthex are the youngest parts of the structure. When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish. Approaching the facade, that follows the "blueprint" of many churches, that line the Via Turonensis in the Poitou Charente, with the central portal and the blind arches. But the facade here seems to be reconstructed and remodeled over the time, as it is not that symmetrical, as most of these portals are. On the left is a heavily damaged horseman, just like in Melle, Benet, Surgères and Parthenay.

Saint-Pierre was the church of one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the Poitou, that was founded in 991 by Audéarde, the wife of viscount Herbert I of Thouars. The monastery was on one of the "chemins" of the Via Turonensis, so when the number of pilgrims increased, the Canons Regular of St. Augustine had this large church erected in two construction phases from the 12th century on. The western facade and the narthex are the youngest parts of the structure. The facade follows the "blueprint" of many churches, that line the Via Turonensis in the Poitou Charente, with the central portal and the blind arches. There is even the horseman on the left, just like in Melle, Benet, Surgères and Parthenay. When the era of the pilgrimage ended, the abbey declined and impoverished during the Hundred Years' War. Most conventual buildings were destroyed in the Wars of Religion. The abbey church now serves the parish.

Melle was known already during Roman times, when silver and lead were mined here. The silver mines were exploited over hundreds of years, got forgotten and "rediscovered" in the 19th century. Today they are a tourist attraction. Melle was wealthy and the pilgrims, walking the Via Turonensis, passed through Melle on their way to Santiago, what brought even more money into town. Churches were erected during the heydays of the pilgrimage- and three (!) Romanesque churches can still be found here. Saint-Hilaire de Melle was the church of a priory, a dependency of the important Benedictian abbey in Saint-Jean-d’Angély. It was built on the bank of the Beronne river. The eastern part (apse, the radiating chapels and transept) were built in the first half of the 12th century, while the nave and the western portals may be some decades younger. The northern portal of Saint-Hilaire. While the archivolts are very mutilated and weathered, the equestrian statue above them is very complete. One of the horse´s legs and a foot of the horseman are lost, what is uncommon after centuries of wars and revolutions. Equestrian statues were not uncommon in the area, but what can be seen here, is the result of a reconstruction from 1872. A small person is sitting on the ground - and - though the horse´s leg is lost, the joint makes clear, that the hoof once was exactly over the head of the sitting guy. Who is the horseman? Most historians see Constantine the Great, triumphing over heathenism. This statue was placed here and was admired by many thousands of pilgrims on their way to Santiago. Some equestrian statues further south (eg Oloron St. Marie) are seen as St. Jaques ("Matamoro"), supporting the Reconquista, Constantine the Great defeating heathenism must be seen in the same historical context.