Post your church shots

[Needa]

The Most Amazing Columns (2023)

Three photos today, as they belong together.

The Saint-Restitut church already pictured above features sculpture of an extremely high level of technical mastery and creative artistry...




... but the most amazing feature is the columns that have been shaped in a manner so... well, “modern” (!) as I have never seen elsewhere! It is astounding how an artist of the 1100s could have had such a daring and utterly conceptual mind... And to think that we will never know who he was, nor what he was called...

Nikon Z7 II, Micro-Nikkor 85mm, ƒ/2.8 D ED tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter for the first two photos. Nikkor Z 100-400mm, ƒ/4.5–5.6 S lens for the last one. Gitzo tripod and Benro geared head for all.




View attachment 415905

That last column is rather unusual.

 

[Blue439]

That last column is rather unusual.

Oh yes, they all are —or most of them, at any rate.

You can see some of them in situ on this lengthwise view of the nave, taken from the tribune. You can also see how all the supporting arches (the older, barrel triumphal arch in the back, the less old, slightly pointy Cluniac arches along the nave proper) have all begun to deform under the weight of the stone vault...

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. Natural light. Post-processed with Nik Software’s ColorEfex Pro 4.

 

[Blue439]

The Cistercian abbey of Léoncel (2023)

The church of Sainte-Marie de Léoncel is all that is left of the Cistercian abbey that was founded in this valley of northern Drôme (southeastern France) in 1137. The church was quickly built, as it was consecrated in 1188. However, some remodeling and alterations took place until around 1230.

The abbey was ravaged during the Hundred Years War; only the church was left standing. The cloister and other abbey buildings were never rebuilt. Monastic life endured (albeit down to a substantially degraded degree) until the French Revolution, when the church became parochial —hence the opening of a very basic door in the western façade, and the walling up of some lateral doors. Since 1974, a community of Dominican sisters has taken over what is left of the abbey and thus monastic life has begun anew.

The abbey church is seen here from the northwest. The strong buttresses along the northern wall were added in the 1700s: this church leaves me an impression of excellent and pure Cistercian design, yet a rather inferior implementation in terms of stone cutting and assembly. The fact that it became necessary to reinforce a side wall a mere 600 years (!) after the church was erected is somewhat unusual for a Cistercian construction.

The cemetery lies, as per good Christian tradition, to the North of the church.

Nikon Z7 II, Micro-Nikkor 45mm, ƒ/2.8 D ED tilt-shift macro lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

The Cistercian abbey of Léoncel (2023)

Bell towers on Cistercian churches are supposed to be quite humble and squat. No proud spires there, just pure functionality: the sole purpose is to make the bells heard to recall the monks working outside for Mass.

Here in Léoncel, I find the bell tower maybe just a tad too tall and I wonder if, by the end of the 12th century, or even the beginning of the 13th, the stringency of Robert and Bernard’s Rule had not been already a bit relaxed, allowing human nature to peek out again and try to get back on top...

Such as it is, this photo is all about the underbelly of that bell tower. It is interesting architecturally as it shows quite well how architects conceived, and masons executed, the transition between a square and a roundish shape (in this case, an octagon) using a device called “squinches” (trompes in French), which you can see in each corner.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

Romanesque England: Saint Andrew in Little Snoring (2023)

[Over the two weeks we spent in England at the beginning of May 2023 amid a whirlwind of feverish preparations for our daughter’s wedding, I managed to secure a few slots of free time to go and visit some of the very few churches still standing from what we would call in Continental Europe the Romanesque age, and which the English call “Norman”, as most of those churches were built around or after the Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066. Anything that’s older, they call “Saxon” or “Anglo-Saxon”.]

Little Snoring... The name itself is so appealing that I couldn’t resist! The church dedicated to Saint Andrew stands on a hilltop and is very notable for being one of only just two with a round tower fully detached from the church itself. Archæologists believe that, while the tower is from the 11th century, the church we see today replaced an earlier one built on the same site. I have found conclusive corroborative evidence of that during my visit. A lot of materials from the older church were also re-used to build the new one. The function of the tower was primarily to watch the environs, and its round shape was commanded by the difficulty of producing strong corners with the local pebbles and flint builders had to work with.

Most of this very simple church is from the 1100s, while the large Gothic windows are from the 1200s and 1300s, the oldest being the triple window in the eastern wall (what we in Europe would call “the apse”).

Judging by what I have seen (which is, I know, a very small and probably not very accurate sample), Romanesque churches in England are not at all like those in Continental Europe. Most of them have been disfigured by the opening of large windows, they don’t seem to have the so gracious semi-circular apses we so like, and their sole entrance is generally to the South —a consequence of the weather, I assume. They also have not been very nicely maintained, generally: here for example, industrial mechanical tiles have been used for the roofing. The quality of the Mediæval apparel is also oftentimes a lot more mediocre than in France, Italy or Spain.

Both photos: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 14-30mm, ƒ/4 S lens. Handheld.

This is the conclusive corroborative evidence I was mentioning above: there is no justification for the wide, walled-in archway you see at the base of the tower. The small doorway within it is amply sufficient to grant access to the tower. So, if this large archway existed before, it is for a reason, which was to give access to the nave of the previous church and enable communication between that nave and the ground floor of the tower. You can also see very clearly the “footprint” of that nave’s roof lines above the archway. The older church was indeed smaller, and built along a different axis than the new one to the right of the frame. The apparel on that remnant gable wall also appears quite archaic, with traces of opus spicatum (fishbone apparel) reminiscent of Roman times. Possibly, that church was built before the tower, in which case that archway would have been its western portal...

 

[Blue439]

Romanesque England: Saint Lawrence in Castle Rising (2023)

Built during the mid–1100s by Norman lord William of Albini II, the church of Saint Lawrence in the village of Castle Rising is hailed in the UK as a grandiose gesture and a prowess of overflowing decorative Romanesque architecture. The western façade is indeed admirable, yet we from Continental Europe are used to beholding Romanesque churches that are even more abundantly decorated, and by quite a large margin.

Looking at this façade makes me think about the churches in Saintonge, and the intertwined arches are reminiscent of the exuberant colonnade in the cloister of San Juan de Duero in Spain.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 24-120mm, ƒ/4 S lens. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

Saint Andrew in Greensted-juxta-Ongar (2023)

This Anglo-Saxon (read: pre-Romanesque; in this case, more specifically Carolingian) church claims to be the oldest wooden church in the world. Dendrochronology dating on the timbers brought back results ranging from 845 to 1055 (the latter with a margin of error of 10 to 55 years). The differing results are not surprising: even though the best oak wood was certainly selected for the walls, it is to be expected that a lesser specimen went undetected and had to be replaced a couple hundred years down the road. As usual in England, there are a lot of later alterations (the chancel is 16th century and the wooden tower 17th), yet this lovely countryside church retains a unique and enormously attractive atmosphere as an ancient place of worship. The southern porch and three dormer windows were also added during the 17th century, and unfortunately further remodeled during the extensive Victorian “restoration” this church had to undergo —or should I say withstand?

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 14-30mm, ƒ/4 S lens, handheld.

 

[Blue439]

The Saint-Hilaire church in Semur-en-Brionnais (2023)

The Brionnais is a small barony at the southernmost tip of the large duchy of Burgundy. It was the fief of the Semur family, whose castle stood in the eponymous village. That family of local barons would have gone basically unnoticed through History, had it not been for Hugues, born in 1024, who went on to become probably the most famous abbot of Cluny, the most powerful abbey that ever was, between 1049 and 1109. Builder of the so-called “Cluny III” abbey church, the largest ever in Christendom, he considerably expanded the Order of Cluny (which was part of the Benedictines) all over Europe during his 60-year abbacy.

One of the most powerful people (and one of the most learned minds) of his time, later canonized by the Church as saint Hugues (Hugh in English), he sent architects and builders from Cluny to his native village to build this church dedicated to Saint Hilaire (Hillary in English). Hugues himself never saw the church being built, as its oldest parts (traditionally, the apse and apsidioles, the choir and transept, and the beginning of the nave) were erected from the year 1115. The portals were finished and decorated during the 1180s, towards the end of the Romanesque age, at a point when many consider the Romanesque art was already “perverted” by mannerisms announcing the age of the Gothic.

Saint-Hilaire was turned into a college church in 1274 when Baron Jean de Semur and the bishop of Autun jointly incorporated a college of 13 canons to take care of the Opus Dei in the church. Damaged during the Hundred Years War (1364), and yet again during the Wars of Religion (1576), the church was listed as a Historic Landmark in 1862 and the stone vaulting which had been destroyed and replaced temporarily by a timber roof, was rebuilt. Being the last Romanesque church ever built in the Brionnais, Saint-Hilaire skillfully incorporates tradition from the local art, and inputs from the most noble and powerful house of Cluny, which was then undoubtedly the dominant power in Western Christendom, above and beyond the Pope —in practice, if not in principle.

The corbel tribune we see in this photo is a direct tribute to that in the enormous Cluny III abbey church. That church exists no more, the one in Semur endures.

Nikon Z7 II, Micro-Nikkor 85mm, ƒ/2.8 PC-E D tilt-shift macro lens, manual focus. FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. Natural light.

 

[Blue439]

The Bound Dæmon (2023)

In the same church as above, this sculpted stone is the base of an engaged column. Symbolically, the grotesque depicted here is a dæmon (one horn has been broken) laboring under the weight of the church he has been bound to support against its will...

Nikon Z7 II, Micro-Nikkor 45mm, ƒ/2.8 PC-E D tilt-shift macro lens, manual focus. FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. Natural light.

 

[Blue439]

The portal and tympanum of the abbey church of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (southwestern France), a Romanesque masterpiece (2023)

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Robin W]

The portal and tympanum of the abbey church of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (southwestern France), a Romanesque masterpiece (2023)

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

View attachment 416355

The craftsmanship of the stone masons is just incredible! How much thought and effort must have gone into these old churches is simply amazing.

 

[billpics]

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana, California.

Nikon Z5
Z 24-70mm f/4 S
1/160, f/8, ISO 100

 

[Blue439]

The craftsmanship of the stone masons is just incredible! How much thought and effort must have gone into these old churches is simply amazing.

Indeed... I have closeup shots that are truly mind-blowing, especially when you think about the crude tools that had at the time!

 

[Blue439]

A small church in the mountains (2021)

Saint Peter of Extravache in the French Alps, around 1,200 meters of altitude.

Nikon Z7, Micro-Nikkor Z MC 105mm, ƒ/2.8 S macro lens. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

Saint-Martin-de-Londres in Languedoc, southern France (2022)

Inspired by Byzantine architectural concepts (hence its trefoil floor plan and its octagonal bell tower on a cupola, topped by a short pinnacle), this Romanesque church was built around 1050 by the local Montarnaud lords. The place had no name back then, but as the church was dedicated to Saint Martin, the village that grew around it was named after it (the “Londres” part has nothing to do with London, or Londinium, as it was named back then: it comes from the Celtic lund and subsequent Occitan loundro, meaning stagnant water, in reference to a nearby marshy lake). Then, in 1088, it was given to the abbey of Gellone and became a priory church until the French Revolution in 1789. The wall separating the enclosure from the village is still visible.

Taking a full photo of it was hellishly difficult because of the lack of space to step back from the monument. I needed to shift and rotate the lens to include all of the façade without distortion. All the other photos I have seen online of that church are really lacking.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

An Italian-looking church in Burgundy (2022)

During the Middle Ages, even though the winters were a lot colder and longer than they are now, the Alps were never impassable. In fact, there were a lot of commercial and other exchanges between what is now France and Italy. Among those, Italian architects and masons, who were thought to best master and respect the building techniques and traditions of the Roman Antiquity (which were revered throughout the Mediæval period), had a strong influence on the design and construction of churches in many regions on this side of the Alps.

This is obviously why the Romanesque Benedictine priory church in the village of Anzy-le-Duc, built during the late 1000s, not only is one of the most stunning Romanesque churches in all of Burgundy, but also features an astounding Lombard-looking bell tower terribly reminiscent of those I saw in northern Italy, and in particular in Æmilia-Romagna.

Even the Moon winked at me that day, can you spot it?

Nikon Z7, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

The Crypt (2022)

Underneath the previously shown church of Anzy-le-Duc, there is a crypt.

There was a monastery in Anzy in Carolingian times, one of the oldest founded in the province. It was donated to the abbey of Saint-Martin in Autun in 878, and thereafter became really renowned under one of its first priors, Hugues of Poitiers, who died in odor of sanctity in Anzy around 930. Around his sepulture, miracles began to happen and the place quickly became the goal of a pilgrimage. A new, larger church had to be built to receive the pilgrims, who came in ever-growing numbers.

The crypt below the transept is easily the oldest and most atmospheric part of the church. There, Saint Hugues (Hugh in English) was buried. You can see on the right a part of a recumbent figure, re-created in the 19th century, of the sepulture, where it was thought to be. The tomb was desecrated by French Revolution vandals, the remains burned and the ashes scattered.

This crypt, whose purpose was to let the pilgrims get as close as possible to the remains they venerated, has two exits, one for ingress, one for egress, as is customary. It is very low and extremely poorly lit: I had to expose for 30 seconds to obtain this photograph.

The very basic groin vaulting, the short and stubby columns, the archaic capitals, all of those signs tell me that this place is a lot more ancient than the 11th century church itself: in my opinion, it is late Carolingian, built shortly before Year 1000, probably just a few years after the death of the saint.

Nikon Z7, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manualf focus, FTZ adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. Natural light.

 

[Blue439]

Saint-Bartholomew church in Farges-lès-Mâcon (2022)

Today I am taking you to another small village in southern Burgundy, Farges-lès-Mâcon, to visit the Saint Bartholomew parish church, built between 1050 and 1100 and which depended from the abbey of Tournus. The similarities between the monumental church in Tournus and this small village church are striking: they were undoubtedly built by the same hands, or at least those who built Farges did it using Tournus as a model.

In spite of the limited technical and financial means, this church has been beautifully proportioned and designed. It must also be said that, for once, this is a nicely lit church (in most cases, lighting is designed not to showcase the monument, but solely to accommodate the needs of the congregation, i.e., be able to read their prayer books!), and a pleasure to photograph. The only lack of taste (but what a glaring one!) is the usual, ugly-as-sin 19th century Stations of the Cross pictures hanging on the venerable walls.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

Saint Peter priory church in Carennac (2022)

Originally founded by the abbey of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne and dedicated to Saint Peter, the priory church in the village of Carennac (southwestern France) was later given an astounding portal and historied tympanum, which is famous worldwide among the connoisseurs of Romanesque art. At the time it was built, the church was integrated into the Mediæval sheet wall that defended the village; that is why the twin-door portal opened to the South, on what used to be the village’s main street, even though it is quite narrow to our modern eyes.

The portal and its tympanum are late Romanesque and were probably not built before 1150 or so. The rest of the church is older and much humbler, so what happened? Well, what happened is that, in 1047–48, the abbey of Beaulieu handed over this priory to the all-powerful Burgundian abbey of Cluny, and that is where the financing and the technical and artistic expertise came from to create such a masterpiece.

Carennac is on the Via Arverna Path to Compostela and listed among the Plus beaux villages de France.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.

 

[Blue439]

A choir of white marble (2022)

The parochial Romanesque church of Melle, a small town of about 6,000 inhabitants in western France, features a modern choir “installation” created in 2011 by French artist Mathieu Lehanneur —a designer better known today for having created the very large flying “basin” in which the Olympic flame was lit for the 2024 Paris Games.

This large decorative and functional piece is made of white Namibian marble and incorporates as seamlessly as possible everything that is needed for the performing of liturgy, including a baptismal font, which you can see here. It allows baptisms by (at least partial) immersion, in the traditional manner, and the font has six sides, as required by tradition as well. A lot of attention has been brought to many traditional details, in spite of the picture-perfect, machine-made modernity of it all.

Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor 19mm, ƒ/4 PC-E tilt-shift lens, manual focus, FTZ II adapter? Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. Natural light.