Benet - Sainte-Eulalie

A Benedictian piory existed here since the 11th century. A large church for the convent was erected from the 12th century on. Of this church only the western facade survived. Though weathered and vandalized the facade still has many elements of the Romanesque church. When the church got rebuilt, after the naves had collapsed, in the 15th century large buttresses were needed, to stabilize the structure.

During the French Revolution served as a Temple of Reason and was later used as a saltpeter factory, what means explosive gunpowder (sulfur + charcoal + saltpeter was produced here.

Benet is a small town, west of Niort, in the Vendée, the deprtament where in 1793 the "War in the Vendée", an uprise against the young republic, was fought. The counterrevolutionary rebellion ended, when tens of thousands of civilians were massacred by the Republican army.

A closer look onto Sainte-Eulalie´s facade.

The elaborate archivolt around the central window makes clear, why this is known as a "bible de pierre", a bible from stone. Many biblical scenes can be found here. The carving style is delicate and reminds on works in the Charente (eg Fenioux).

This part of the archivolt may depict .. Cain?

Is God (beardless, very feminine) holding Cain´s offering, while killed brother Abel lies behind him?

Genesis 4:8-9

"Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let’s go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
Genesis 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”