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Martin M. Miles

Martin M. Miles club

Posted: 19 Jan 2016

Taken: 01 Jul 2015

2 favorites     2 comments    175 visits

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Carved Graffiti Carved Graffiti

Keywords

graffiti •
Échebrune •
carved graffito •
carved graffiti •
Poitou-Charentes •
Charente-Maritime •
Saintonge •
France •
graffito •
17 •
Saint Pierre d'Échebrune •

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Échebrune - Saint-Pierre

Échebrune - Saint-Pierre
Échebrune is a small village (pop. ~500) neighbouring Biron and Avy. The Saintonge region is so rich in wonderful Romanesque buildings...

Saint-Pierre was erected within the 12th century, but the church suffered from severe damage during the Hundred Years War, the Wars of Religion and the vandalism of the French Revolution. The crossing tower and the large Gothic apse are rebuilt, but the western facade, seen here partially, and the nave are Romanesque, dating back to the 12th century.

The many graffiti, carved into the walls of the facade and the nave are probably from the time of the great pilgrimage 12th/13th century.

homaris, have particularly liked this photo

Comments
 Martin M. Miles
Martin M. Miles club
Pilgrims left many graffiti all along the "chemins". There were probably two raesons. One was to get a kind of blessing (see the carved in horseshoes eg in Pons), the other was probably, what is called a "tag" today. They could not write their initials in medieval tiems, but they could create an image.

Some scratched the stones (or drilled holes) to get some powdered material from the sacred church. These powders were used as a medicine.

Here is one of the many horseshoes in Pons:

www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/23439335
8 years ago. Edited 8 years ago.
 Martin M. Miles
Martin M. Miles club
Do you remember the pierced whalebone in Gandersheim?
The material out of that bone was used to produce pills against
headache.
8 years ago.

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