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<blockquote data-quote="Blue439" data-source="post: 829298" data-attributes="member: 53455"><p><strong>The chapel at the top (2023)</strong></p><p></p><p>In the town of Le Puy-en-Velay (central France), the Saint Michael Chapel is perched on top of the Aiguilhe Rock, an enormous, 82–meter high geological dike made of hard basalt and left standing like a finger sticking out of the plain below by the erosion of all the sediment that once surrounded it.</p><p></p><p>There is only one way to get there: climb the hard, tall and uneven 268 steps carved out of the basalt, and in doing so, you will be following in the exact footsteps, not only of the millions of Compostela pilgrims that came here to pray over the centuries (and still do), but also of innumerable historic figures, among which the Kings of France Charles VII, Louis XI and Charles VIII, who ascended the rock to pray under the humble vaults of the chapel.</p><p></p><p>According to persistent legends, the first edifice built on top of the rock of Aiguilhe (notice how close the name is to the French word <em>aiguille,</em> i.e., needle) was a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury. No trace of such a sanctuary was ever found by archæologists. The chapel that one can see today was built in two successive phases. First, the initial and very small square chapel, probably with three apses but only two remain today. This was built soon after 950, either by bishop Godescalc (who had been the first French pilgrim of Compostela in 950–51), or more probably by Truannus, dean of the canons of the cathedral chapter, duly authorized by Godescalc. I have not been able to find any definitive evidence pointing to one rather than the other. What <em>is</em> documented, however, is that the finished chapel was consecrated by the said bishop in 961. It was a pre-Romanesque, late Carolingian monument.</p><p></p><p>Secondly, during the late 1000s, the primitive oratory was “surrounded” and augmented by a Romanesque chapel built on the flattened top of the dike. In the process, the probable third apse of the oratory was destroyed to open a way of access between the newly built “nave” and the square space of the oratory, repurposed as “choir”. The best way to understand the layout if to have a look at the floor plan drawn by architect Mallay in the 19th century, <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Saint-Michel_d%27Aiguilhe#/media/Fichier:Plan_de_la_chapelle_Saint_Michel_d%27Aiguilhe.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>. The imposing bell tower was also built at the same time.</p><p></p><p>The most recent part is the façade, from the late 1100s. The chapel was listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list of 1840.</p><p></p><p>Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 100-400mm, ƒ/4.5–5.6 VR S lens. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]415508[/ATTACH]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Blue439, post: 829298, member: 53455"] [B]The chapel at the top (2023)[/B] In the town of Le Puy-en-Velay (central France), the Saint Michael Chapel is perched on top of the Aiguilhe Rock, an enormous, 82–meter high geological dike made of hard basalt and left standing like a finger sticking out of the plain below by the erosion of all the sediment that once surrounded it. There is only one way to get there: climb the hard, tall and uneven 268 steps carved out of the basalt, and in doing so, you will be following in the exact footsteps, not only of the millions of Compostela pilgrims that came here to pray over the centuries (and still do), but also of innumerable historic figures, among which the Kings of France Charles VII, Louis XI and Charles VIII, who ascended the rock to pray under the humble vaults of the chapel. According to persistent legends, the first edifice built on top of the rock of Aiguilhe (notice how close the name is to the French word [I]aiguille,[/I] i.e., needle) was a Roman temple dedicated to Mercury. No trace of such a sanctuary was ever found by archæologists. The chapel that one can see today was built in two successive phases. First, the initial and very small square chapel, probably with three apses but only two remain today. This was built soon after 950, either by bishop Godescalc (who had been the first French pilgrim of Compostela in 950–51), or more probably by Truannus, dean of the canons of the cathedral chapter, duly authorized by Godescalc. I have not been able to find any definitive evidence pointing to one rather than the other. What [I]is[/I] documented, however, is that the finished chapel was consecrated by the said bishop in 961. It was a pre-Romanesque, late Carolingian monument. Secondly, during the late 1000s, the primitive oratory was “surrounded” and augmented by a Romanesque chapel built on the flattened top of the dike. In the process, the probable third apse of the oratory was destroyed to open a way of access between the newly built “nave” and the square space of the oratory, repurposed as “choir”. The best way to understand the layout if to have a look at the floor plan drawn by architect Mallay in the 19th century, [URL='https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89glise_Saint-Michel_d%27Aiguilhe#/media/Fichier:Plan_de_la_chapelle_Saint_Michel_d%27Aiguilhe.jpg']here[/URL]. The imposing bell tower was also built at the same time. The most recent part is the façade, from the late 1100s. The chapel was listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list of 1840. Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 100-400mm, ƒ/4.5–5.6 VR S lens. Gitzo tripod, Benro geared head. [ATTACH type="full" alt="52770115653_58ea86052b_o.jpg"]415508[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]
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