Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: cock

Otranto occupies the site of an ancient Greek city. It gained importance in Roman times, as it was the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. After the end of the Roman Empire, it was in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it surrendered to the Norman troops of Robert Guiscard in 1068. The Normans fortified the city and built the cathedral, that got consecrated in 1088. When Henry VI., son of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, married Constanze of Sicily in 1186 Otranto came under the rule of the Hohenstaufen and later in the hands of Ferdinand I of Aragón, King of Naples. Between 1480 and 1481 the "Ottoman invasion" took place here. Troops of the Ottoman Empire invaded and laid siege to the city and its citadel. Legends tell that more than 800 inhabitants were beheaded after the city was captured. The "Martyrs of Otranto" are still celebrated in Italy, their skulls are on display in the cathedral. A year later the Ottoman garrison surrendered the city following a siege by Christian forces and the intervention of Papal forces. Otranto had been one of the last Byzantine strongholds in Apulia, but finally, Robert Guiscard could take it. It had probably been such a stronghold, as Otranto had hosted an autocephalous bishopric, only dependent on the patriarchal see of Byzantium since 968. So (Roman) Catholicism had to perform something "convincing" for the so-long (Byzantine) Orthodox Christians. One was to erect a huge church. The Otranto Cathedral, seen in the center, was erected over the ruins of a Paleochristian church from 1080 on and was consecrated in 1088. It is 54 meters long by 25 meters wide and is built on 42 monolithic granite and marble columns. I had returned to Otranto to see the unbelievable, breathtaking mosaic again. It was created by a monk named Pantaleon and his workshop between 1163 and 1165. Pantaleon lived at the monastery San Nicola di Casole, located a few kilometers south of Otranto. The mosaic covers the nave, both aisles, the apse and the presbytery. This sums up to a total of 1596 m². About 10 000000 (10 million!) "tesserae" were used. There are scholars, who have counted up to 700 different "stories", that are told here. Though, these "stories" are often disputed, as today's interpretations are mostly very "vague". German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen published the most important book about the mosaic in Italian " L'enigma di Otranto", that since the 1970s is translated in many languages. I followed his theories. As the church is a parish church, there are benches placed on the mosaic floor. A cock and a dog - fighting. As I have uploaded so many photos taken in Otranto already, I will upload now only a few. If you want to see more click here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1333378

Legends tell, that a small community of hermits lived here in the 6th century. A century later the group was led by (Saint) Eudes and after him by Eudes´ nephew (Saint) Theofrede. Theofrede got killed by the locals - and so he became a martyr named Saint Chaffre. The monastery adopted the Benedictine rule in 817 and found support from Louis the Pious. In the following two centuries three churches were erected here. All collapsed due to the unstable ground. The current, former abbey church was built from 1074 on. The monastery (and the relics of Saint Chaffre) were just a day´s walk from Le Puy, where the Via Podiensis started and many pilgrims gathered. It may well be, that the wealthiness of the abbey, was related to the pilgrim-business. It has a polychrome facade with a unique frieze under the roof.

In the center of Modena, where the Duomo di Modena (aka "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e San Geminiano") is placed, churches have existed since the 5th century. After the burial site of Modena's patron Saint Geminianus, a former bishop (+397), was dicovered here, the existing cathedral seemed to small. The first stone laying for the cathedral of today took place in May 1099, strongly supported by Matilde di Canossa (aka "Matilda of Tuscany"). First architect was Master Lanfranco, descibed as "maestro ingenio clarus [...] doctus et aptus". The Duomo di Modena was consecrated in 1184, but the building process continued. It was finally completed in 1322. Many renowned sculptors have worked here. The "Porta della Pescheria", as well as side portal, opens to the north, where in mediavel times the fish-market was located. The "Porta della Pescheria", as well as side portal, opens to the north, where in mediavel times the fish-market was located. I learned that the archivolt depicts a scene from the Arthurian Legend. Older Welsh and Breton tales about Artur were written down in the "Historia Regum Britanniae" written by Geoffrey of Monmouth around 1136. This carving may be a little older. It is dated to 1130. Artus is the second on the left, the only one without a chainmail. The lintel has other stories. To the left a young nude guy rided a hippocamus. The followig reliefs may relate to the French "Roman de Renart", written by Pierre de St. Cloud from 1174 on, based party on Aesop's fables. The artists probably knew as well the "Physiologus".

The 12th century church "Notre-Dame de Fleuriel" was once the seat of a priory, connected the abbey in Tournus. Now it is the parish church. It is known for the western portal. I had read, that it is one of the finest in the area of Bourbonnais. This is the most special of all carvings here. A capital, depicting a man, in a seated position. His right arm risen. His hand in an "atlas-gesture". His left arm holds a long pole or stick. The head is palce on top of that stick, he faces "the audience". The man is clothes in a very wide habit or coat. On the very left two birds. Cocks maybe. Here, on the very right is a large snake. According to the information I found in Fleuriel about this 13th century carving ("unique au monde"), this is Saint Jaques (so the pole is a pilgrim's staff). There is a legend of St. Jaques and Hermogenus, a heathenly sorcerer, who was opposed the apostel´s missionary efforts , but later was saved by St. Jaques, who freed him from evil demons. If this carving really is connected to that legend, then the two bird and the snake must be the symbols of sorcery. It is a wonderful piece of art, but I doubt that complex story/legend around. A little bit. I have to admit, I heard about the legend here the very first time.

The 12th century church "Notre-Dame de Fleuriel" was once the seat of a priory, connected the abbey in Tournus. Now it is the parish church. It is known for the western portal. I had read, that it is one of the finest in the area of Bourbonnais. This is the most special of all carvings here. A capital, depicting a man, in a seated position. His right arm risen. His hand in an "atlas-gesture". His left arm holds a long pole or stick. The head is palce on top of that stick, he faces "the audience". The man is clothes in a very wide habit or coat. On the very left two birds. Cocks maybe. On the very right (see next photo) is a large snake. According to the information I found in Fleuriel about this 13th century carving ("unique au monde"), this is Saint Jaques (so the pole is a pilgrim's staff). There is a legend of St. Jaques and Hermogenus, a heathenly sorcerer, who was opposed the apostel´s missionary efforts , but later was saved by St. Jaques, who freed him from evil demons. If this carving really is connected to that legend, then the two bird and the snake must be the symbols of sorcery. It is a wonderful piece of art, but I doubt that complex story/legend around. A little bit. I have to admit, I heard about the legend here the very first time.

The village Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, named after a bishop of the once existing diocese here,was just like neighbouring Valcabrère once part of a large Roman settlement, that may have had about 30.000 inhabitants. In the early 5th century the Vandals sacked the city, in 585 merovingian troops razed the site, that probably had the bishopric seat already at that time. Saint Bertrand of Comminges (1073–1123) restored and fortified the town. He commissioned the erection of the cathedral. Saint Bertrand´s tomb was a center of regional pilgrimage already before he got canonized around 1220. Pope Clement V, who had once been Bishop of this diocese, strongly promoted the pilgrimage, so that soon after the Romanesque church was to small for the many "pelerins". Between 1304 and 1352 the major part of old nave got demolished to make room for a new, larger Gothic nave. In 1586, during the Wars of Religion, the cathedral was looted and severely damaged by the Huguenot troops. It took the next centuries to restore and repair. Saint-Bertrand´s relics were hidden during the Huguenot raids and are meanwhile back in the cathedral. The Romanesque cloister, where the canons once praid the Divine Office, got rather damaged by the Huguenots. It got restored and there are still some very interesting carvings. Two cocks / roosters scratch at the soil to search for seeds or insects. More infos can be found at the cathedral´s website: www.cathedrale-saint-bertrand.org/

Notre-Dame was built from white, local stones within the 12th century and got remodeled and enlarged at least three times, before the 19th-renovation startet. Actually parts of the transept are even older, dated to the 11th century. Three domes span over the nave. This church is known for the capitals. Here is one of them, depicting a (dancing?) pig (note the tail!), an ass, a cock, (a bit exotic), and a crocodil. Is this a croc? It does have the typical long snout, but how should a carver within the 12th century have knowlegde about this reptile. Did he return from a cruisade and saw crocodiles in Egypt? Or was this capital created and added during the 19th-century-renovation - and only is about 150 years old? I could not find out. In case, you do not "recognise" that croc - just see the next upload.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Just below the windows runs a long frieze all around the choir. Everybody loves grapes obviously. The rooster to the left, the gnome with a cap to the right and even the monkey in the center.