Villefranche-de-Conflent - Saint-Jaques

Soon after the village was founded 1090 a small, humble single-nave church has been erected right here. Though, this was a small church, it has this large, elaborated portal. The quarries, where the reddish marble was cut, are very close to Villefranche and the workshops working there for Saint-Martin-du-Canigou, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa or the priory of Serrabone may have offered their masterly work for a "special price" to the local church.

Having a closer look to the right side of the portal. Again the masterly carvings seem like model-carvings for the pious investors of they abbeys and priories, placing orders to the artists. Please not the very left animal. I am very sure, this is not a lion, but an ape.