church of St. Peter, town of Carennac , Lot departement, Midi-Pyrénées region This is the entrance to the small courtyard of the St. Peter’s church in the town of Carennac, Lot department in the southern part of France. From this point, there’s a nice perspective of the tympanum and the short flight of stairs leading to the church’s entrance. It is quite arresting, especially since the view is unexpected (but very much welcomed) when taking a walk on a quiet road of the town by the Dordogne river.
the church's tympanum
The portal was added to the church by the mid-12th century, and one of the “must-sees” in Carennac. In the center of the tympanum is Christ in a mandorla (almond-shaped aureola) with his hand raised in benediction and surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists. And on either side of the figure are the sculptures of the apostles (source: Le Guide Vert: Perigord-Quercy, Michelin, 2005).
close-up of the Christ in the mandorla
It is always a pleasure to find such treasures in visiting towns. Especially when they are very well-preserved. One of my ideas of holidays is breathing in the quiet, history-filled atmosphere of such places. It’s like having a short lesson in art and history while taking a relaxing walk around.
the church's tympanumThe portal was added to the church by the mid-12th century, and one of the “must-sees” in Carennac. In the center of the tympanum is Christ in a mandorla (almond-shaped aureola) with his hand raised in benediction and surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists. And on either side of the figure are the sculptures of the apostles (source: Le Guide Vert: Perigord-Quercy, Michelin, 2005).
close-up of the Christ in the mandorlaIt is always a pleasure to find such treasures in visiting towns. Especially when they are very well-preserved. One of my ideas of holidays is breathing in the quiet, history-filled atmosphere of such places. It’s like having a short lesson in art and history while taking a relaxing walk around.
details of the sculpture on the left (above photo)and right side (picture below) of the central figure of the tympanum
see my other wordless wednesdays see other wordless wednesday participants
15 comments:
How interesting - great photos.
Oh, this takes me out of time and place. What a dream.
what a beautiful building
i enjoyed your words as well as your pictures
Here’s my WW hope you can stop by!
Magnificent building! Thank you for sharing it. Isn't it incredible how well buildings like these stand the test of time? I wonder how long the houses and buildings of today will weather the years?
How beautiful - especially that first one. We normally see a view through an arch looking outward, how wonderfully unexpected all those columns and friezes are.
My eyes were feasting on this visuals of history. Some great shots!
Just awesome, especially pic number one. I love how the arch frames everything inside it. I really want to go to Europe.
What a superb doorway. I love church architecture. Great shots!
Really something else! I can't help thinking about all the time that went into this. "Lot department"? Never heard that one. I'll have to do some Google research!
Very special sculptures !
I am absolutely loving all the details! but that first photo is totally perfect! I love the intricate-ness of the whole shot!
Oh my, absolutely wonderful!!! How I wished I could go there...
to everybody: well, better late than never... so i'd like to say thank you very much for dropping by... i'm glad you enjoyed this series...
to barb: i hope present-day infrastructures would survive... even just for posterity's sake for the future generation:)...
to will: Lot departement is in the perigord-quercy/midi-pyrénées region... there are a lot of beautiful villages there...
they are all beautiful.
anyway, i been trying to call you when our phone is fix but now i cant contact you.
how's the travel?
hi maya! we just got back about a week ago... and the trip was great... i'll tell you more about it when we get to talk :)...
Post a Comment