Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: abbot

There are no exact construction dates or documents, but it can be assumed that it was built in the second half of the 12th century. The unusually richly decorated façade makes an initial use as a parish church rather unlikely. The building apparently survived the turmoil of the Hundred Years' War and the Huguenot Wars unscathed. The richly designed yet clearly structured gable-free display wall of the west façade stands out. Its elevation is almost square and divided into two levels: The lower zone is divided into three parts - in the centre is an archivolt portal that occupies the entire height. The interior of the church is kept very sober, but has some capitals. A seated abbot or bishop

This church, dedicated to St. Christopher, is the last remaining building of a monastery founded in the 11th century, and belonging to the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The earliest reference to the monastery dates from 1103. The monastery existed upto 1443, when it was dissolved The present church is the result of a rebuilding carried out in 1151, as indicated by an inscription on the apse. The western facade and this fantastic portal was probably created late 12th century. A well dressed bishop/abbot with a crozier and a mitra is in the center. He is depicted in a blessing gesture. He is flanked by two smaller persons holding books (probably the bible) - and in the corners a bird under a sun symbol - and a small mermaid holding a moon symbol. The style is pretty rough, but impressing.

Saint-Georges is located in the center of the village Saint-Jeanvrin (pop. ~200), what means probably since the early times "la fête" is celebtrated right here. We arrived, when the preparation were still ongoing. The church was erected in the first half of the 12th century and then was dedicated to Saint Janvier (= Januarius) hence the name of the village. Like many other churches/priories in the area, it was depended on the Notre-Dame de Déols (about 60kms northwest). Pope Pascal II confirmed this ownership in 1115. The single nave church was erected on the blueprint of a "Latin Cross" and embellished with some nice carvings and even frescoes. The capital near the crossing depicts a bearded person holding a crozier (?) and a vine stock. An abbot? To the right - and only partly visible from this pov are fighting dragons.

The abbey was founded within the 8th century. It is dedicated to Saint Papoul, a disciple of Saint Saturnin, missionary and first bishop of Toulouse. It was believed that Saint Papoul was martyred near the place, where the abbey is now. Later a monk named Berenger (or Berengar) lived a pious life here. After he got canonized his relics attracted the first pilgrims to this place. In the aftermath of the crusade against the Cathars the papal organisation created new (smaller) dioceses to enable a stricter control. So since 1317 the abbey church of Saint Papoul was promoted to a cathedral, holding a bishopric (upto 1801). Saint Papoul is a quiet little village, that is one of my favourite places since a long time. Yes, there are the works of the "Maître de Cabestany", who is known under this name since the 1930s when a tympanum and other carvings were found in Cabestany (near Perpignan), but there is so much more. The range of different artistic styles and icons in Saint-Papoul is enormous. The Romanesque capitals of the former abbey church / cathedral have not only a very specific, rough and "simple" style. To the left a "good" bird fights an "evil" snake. To the right stands a bishop or abbot. he does not wear a mitra, but holds a crosier and has a very long maniple.

The place belonged to the Abbey Saint-Étienne in Baignes (16kms south) end of the 11th century, when the nave of Saint-Martin was built. The apse was added within the 12th century. When in 1953 conservators washed and peeled off the last coat of white paint and plaster from the 12th century walls of the apse, they discovered - graffitti! When in the 12th century the walls were completed, but not yet covered with plaster, some unknown person covered the side walls with graffiti. Over square meters! On the southern side (seen here) are sketches of warlike situations. Here is a pillar (a calvarie?), a church with a very large bishop or abbot (wears a mitra) and below a fortified building (castle) with a huge gate.

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. The sides of the Romanesque is flanked by blind arches, what is pretty unique and has many carvings. Here is one of them. On the right side is a bishop (or abbot) in a blessing (or greeting) gesture. To the left were two persons once. One with a long braid (?) is still complete, while only the feet and an arm holding a hammer are left from the second. The scene may be connected to the martyrdom of Saint Quentin.

"Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a church outside of Aulnay, in the center of an old graveyard. The setting has not changed for centuries. For the pilgrims of the 12th century this church was a major halt - and it still is for all the tourists... A predecessing church „Saint-Pierre-de-la-Tour“ had been here, that, when the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella got more and more popular, was obviously to small, as Aulnay was conveniently situated between Poitiers and Saintes on the Via Turonensis. A new, larger church was needed, so the place was handed over to the chapter of the cathedral in Poitiers. The canons then probably planned this church, that was erected from about 1130/1140 on. "Saint-Pierre d'Aulnay" is a gem of the "style saintongeais". For Peter Strafford ("Romanesque Churches Of France") this is "one of the best examples of late Romanesque architecture in what used to be Aquitaine". Saint-Pierre´s "South Porch" is what attracts busloads of tourists to stop in Aulnay. And they are right.The "South Porch" is mindblowing. The most outer archivolt is the most spectacular one. So far the icons were somehow in an expectable "christian tradition" (Elders, Saints), but here mythical beasts and fantastic hybrid creatures come to life. Some of these chimerae probably derive from medieval Bestiary, while others seem to come straight from a drug related nightmare. In the center is a sheep, luxuriously dressed like a bishop or abbot and a wolf (dog) holding a book. While the sheep is standing in a (relaxed) upright postion, the dog seems to be in a move. He bares his teeth - and it looks like he is going to tear the book apart. The is an icon from a "wolf´s school", but the schools I saw so far (Freiburg, St, Ursainne) employed monks as teachers. Sheep entered the schools only as a temptation and distraction for the wolfs. Here the sheep plays a totally different role.