Authon-Ébéon - Notre-Dame de l'Assomption

When after the 100 Years´ War marauding mercenaries in great numbers looted the area, many of the rural Romanesque churches got fortified, to offer the villagers a safer place. That is what happened in Authon during the 15th century.

The "style saintongue" is known for intricate works and I was surprised to find that the band of endless "foliage" around the portal here was reduced to a geometrical design (see previous upload). This style continues. Here is the very left capital of the portal. Actually two lions sharing one head is a very common icon, but these are just two skinny, abstract animals. This looks very modern. I am sure, Alberto Giacometti would have liked it.