Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Guillaume de Gellone

The chapel "Saint-Géniès de Litenis" is located south of Saint-Jean-de-Fos. Today very isolated it was once the center of a settlement near a ford of the river Herault. In 804 the place was given by Charlemagne to his cousin Guillaume de Gellone (Saint Guilhem) . The church of today was erected within the 11th century on a spot, where a paleochristian sanctuary had been. As the settlement around the church got abandoned, the unattended church crumbled and after the French Revolution it was sold as a quarry. So half of the nave and the apse got demolished. The reconstruction started end of the 19th century. Unfortunately the chapel was locked.

The chapel "Saint-Géniès de Litenis" is located south of Saint-Jean-de-Fos. Today very isolated it was once the center of a settlement near a ford of the river Herault. In 804 the place was given by Charlemagne to his cousin Guillaume de Gellone (Saint Guilhem) . The church of today was erected within the 11th century on a spot, where a paleochristian sanctuary had been. As the settlement around the church got abandoned, the unattended church crumbled and after the French Revolution it was sold as a quarry. So half of the nave and the apse got demolished. The reconstruction started end of the 19th century. Unfortunately the chapel was locked.

The chapel "Saint-Géniès de Litenis" is located south of Saint-Jean-de-Fos. Today very isolated it was once the center of a settlement near a ford of the river Herault. In 804 the place was given by Charlemagne to his cousin Guillaume de Gellone (Saint Guilhem) . The church of today was erected within the 11th century on a spot, where a paleochristian sanctuary had been. As the settlement around the church got abandoned, the unattended church crumbled and after the French Revolution it was sold as a quarry. So half of the nave and the apse got demolished. The reconstruction started end of the 19th century. Unfortunately the chapel was locked.

A fortified place existed here already since gallo-roman times. In 792 Charlemagne gave the place to his cousin and fierce warrior Guillaume de Gellone (aka "William of Gellone", "William of Aquitaine", "Guillaume Fierabrace"), who some years later became a pious monk. In 804 he founded the Monastery of Gellone ( = "Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert") - and was canonized a saint in 1066. The castle, towering over the village, was built by his descendants within the 11th century and rebuilt it in Renaissance style 5 centuries later. Today this the home of the "University of Wine". www.universite-du-vin.com/ On the right is a poster, telling the kids, that in a few days Guignol will visit Suze-la-Rousse. Guignol has many friends www.amisdelyonetguignol.com