0 favorites     0 comments    205 visits

Location

Lat, Lng:  
Lat, Lng:  
You can copy the above to your favourite mapping app.
Address:  unknown

 View on map

See also...


Keywords

85
Sainte-Eulalie
Esau
War in the Vendée
Temple of Reason
Jacob
Benet
Isaac
Vendée
Pays de la Loire
Genesis
France
hare
bible de pierre


Authorizations, license

Visible by: Everyone
All rights reserved

205 visits


Benet - Sainte-Eulalie

Benet - Sainte-Eulalie
A Benedictian piory existed here since the 11th century. A large church for the convent was erected from the 12th century on. Of this church only the western facade survived. Though weathered and vandalized the facade still has many elements of the Romanesque church. When the church got rebuilt, after the naves had collapsed, in the 15th century large buttresses were needed, to stabilize the structure.

During the French Revolution served as a Temple of Reason and was later used as a saltpeter factory, what means explosive gunpowder (sulfur + charcoal + saltpeter was produced here.

Benet is a small town, west of Niort, in the Vendée, the deprtament where in 1793 the "War in the Vendée", an uprise against the young republic, was fought. The counterrevolutionary rebellion ended, when tens of thousands of civilians were massacred by the Republican army.

A closer look onto Sainte-Eulalie´s facade.

The elaborate archivolt around the central window makes clear, why this is known as a "bible de pierre", a bible from stone. Many biblical scenes can be found here. The carving style is delicate and reminds on works in the Charente (eg Fenioux).

Here is scene from the life of Isaac.

Esau is returning too late from hunting, Isaac has already blessed Jacob.

Genesis 27:30

Comments

Sign-in to write a comment.