Royat - Saint-Léger

Saint-Léger is the parish church of Royat in the outskirts of Clermont-Ferrand. This was once the church of a priory, depending from Mozat.

The structure has a complex building history. Dating back to the 11th century, the building got a first fortification within the 13th century. Construction went on and on over centuries.

The left of the capitals in the nave just seen (on the preceding photo). There is a grape bearing vine to the right. Next is a young person holding a sword. On the left a bearded man, holding a scale. I had the impression, that this was a kind of echo of the "virtues", seen in Volvic (15mks north), where a soldier, holding a spear, stands for "fortitudo" and a man, holding a scale" stands for "iustitia". Actually even the fence-like background of the carvings is similar. Zygmunt Świechowski ("Sculpture romane d'Auvergne") had the same idea. But why does the soldier wears civilian clothes, why is he floating. There is another theory - see the next photo.