Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Gaston IV

The construction of the church was started by Gaston IV, Viscount of Béarn (aka "le Croisé") in 1102. After he returned from the First Crusade Gaston IV created a kind of infrastructure along the Via Tolosana and "Sainte-Marie" was part of it. Only some parts of the church date back to the 12th century, as during the Albigensian Crusade, the church got severely damaged. Most important is the Romanesque portal - and I had time to take many photos, that I will upload later in another context. Here is only one detail from the archivolt, where lots of people prepare a dinner. The right guy carries a huge salmon over his shoulder, while the right person is seated and seems to think about the recipe. The salmon is obviously fresh and very slick, as the guy holds the fish with a trident.