Exotism and Churches

Already in the 7th century, it was the location of a fortified Slavonic settlement, at a ford in the Vistula river. Thorn was established in 1231 under the administration of the Teutonic Order. The Teutonic Order had been called earlier by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia to Christianize the pagan Baltic Pruzzes. However, the Order became active only after Emperor Frederick II granted it the right to rule over the land to be conquered in 1226. The foundation stone of the city of Thorn was laid in 1231 and soon after immigrants from Westphalia populated the town. In the 14th century, Thorn joined the Hanseatic League. The Order's efforts to simultaneously expand its sovereignty and control trade led to warlike conflicts. The city was captured by Poland in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War however, after the First Peace of Thorn was signed in 1411, the city fell back to the Teutonic Order. In the 1420s, Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło built the Dybów Castle, located in present-day left-bank Toruń. In 1440, the gentry of Thorn co-founded the Prussian Confederation to further oppose the Knights' policies. The Confederation rose against the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1454 and its delegation submitted a petition to Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon asking him to regain power over the region as the rightful ruler. These events led to the Thirteen Years' War. The citizens of the city conquered the Teutonic castle and dismantled the fortifications. In May 1454, a ceremony was held in Toruń, during which the nobility, knights, landowners, mayors, and local officials solemnly swore allegiance to the Polish King. During the war, Toruń financially supported the Polish Army. The Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466, with the Second Peace of Thorn, in which the Teutonic Order renounced any claims to the city and recognized it as part of Poland. During the Great Northern War (Deluge), the city was besieged by Swedish troops. In the second half of the 17th century, tensions between Catholics and Protestants grew. In the early 18th century about half of the population, especially the gentry and middle class, was German-speaking and Protestant, while the other half was Polish-speaking Roman Catholic. The old town of Torun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - The erection of the Toruń Cathedral (Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist) was started as a parish church of the old town in about 1270 in the form of a basilica. In 1351, a fire destroyed parts of the building, after which the nave was renewed, abandoning the basilical scheme in favor of a hall church. In 1406 the church tower collapsed, it was rebuilt from 1407 to 1433. Since 1557 the church was evangelical. From 1583 to 1596 Protestants and Catholics used it together. I am not sure to whom this very exotic altar is dedicated. The saint depicted was obviously a missionary "in the distance", where tall palm trees grow under which camels and giraffes walk. The people are dark-skinned, some wear turbans or crowns. The name readable above is "Antonius". Since he is holding a child, I assume that it is Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231), who for a while lived in Morocco to baptize the Muslims, but fell seriously ill and left Northern Africa.

A priory existed here in 1095. This was probably the nucleus of the village of Catus. The convent was depending from the Benedictian abbey Saint-Michel-de-la-Cluse 700kms (!) east in what is today Northern Italy. Saint Astier was built as the priory church within the 12th century, but only the crossing tower may date back to that early times. Severely damaged during the Hundred Years War, the priory was given up end of 14th century. The Wars of Religion again brought devastation to Catus, but from the 16th century on the structure got rebuilt in Gothic style. After the French Revolution the remaining buildings of the priory were sold as "biens nationaux" (national property). Unfortunately the cloister was sold as well - and is lost. I was surprised by this statue, depicting a man in chinese attire, tied to a cross. I learned that Jean-Gabriel Perboyre was born in Montgesty, a village 5kms north, in 1802. He was a missionary to China, where became a martyr in 1840. Pope John Paul II canonized him. Wiki and the Vatican know more about him: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gabriel_Perboyre www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19...

Already in the 7th century, it was the location of a fortified Slavonic settlement, at a ford in the Vistula river. Thorn was established in 1231 under the administration of the Teutonic Order. The Teutonic Order had been called earlier by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia to Christianize the pagan Baltic Pruzzes. However, the Order became active only after Emperor Frederick II granted it the right to rule over the land to be conquered in 1226. The foundation stone of the city of Thorn was laid in 1231 and soon after immigrants from Westphalia populated the town. In the 14th century, Thorn joined the Hanseatic League. The Order's efforts to simultaneously expand its sovereignty and control trade led to warlike conflicts. The city was captured by Poland in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War however, after the First Peace of Thorn was signed in 1411, the city fell back to the Teutonic Order. In the 1420s, Polish King Władysław II Jagiełło built the Dybów Castle, located in present-day left-bank Toruń. In 1440, the gentry of Thorn co-founded the Prussian Confederation to further oppose the Knights' policies. The Confederation rose against the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1454 and its delegation submitted a petition to Polish King Casimir IV Jagiellon asking him to regain power over the region as the rightful ruler. These events led to the Thirteen Years' War. The citizens of the city conquered the Teutonic castle and dismantled the fortifications. In May 1454, a ceremony was held in Toruń, during which the nobility, knights, landowners, mayors, and local officials solemnly swore allegiance to the Polish King. During the war, Toruń financially supported the Polish Army. The Thirteen Years' War ended in 1466, with the Second Peace of Thorn, in which the Teutonic Order renounced any claims to the city and recognized it as part of Poland. During the Great Northern War (Deluge), the city was besieged by Swedish troops. In the second half of the 17th century, tensions between Catholics and Protestants grew. In the early 18th century about half of the population, especially the gentry and middle class, was German-speaking and Protestant, while the other half was Polish-speaking Roman Catholic. The old town of Torun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - The erection of the Toruń Cathedral (Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist) was started as a parish church of the old town in about 1270 in the form of a basilica. In 1351, a fire destroyed parts of the building, after which the nave was renewed, abandoning the basilical scheme in favor of a hall church. In 1406 the church tower collapsed, it was rebuilt from 1407 to 1433. Since 1557 the church was evangelical. From 1583 to 1596 Protestants and Catholics used it together. I am not sure to whom this very exotic altar is dedicated. The saint depicted was obviously a missionary "in the distance", where tall palm trees grow under which camels and giraffes walk. The people are dark-skinned, some wear turbans or crowns. The name readable above is "Antonius". Since he is holding a child, I assume that it is Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231), who for a while lived in Morocco to baptize the Muslims, but fell seriously ill and left Northern Africa. A detail

Napoli is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy. Its metropolitan area has a population of more than 3 million. Founded by Greek settlers before 900 BC, Napoli was an important part of Magna Graecia and played a major role in the merging of Greek and Roman society. Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire Napoli was shortly ruled by the Ostrogoths. Byzantine troops captured the city in 536m but after the Byzantine exarchate Ravenna fell a Duchy of Naples was created. Over centuries the Duchy´s relations to Rome or Byzanz were hard-fought. In 836 Napoli could repel a siege of Lombard troops with the help of the Saracens, what did not prevent Muhammad I Abu 'l-Abbas in the 850s loot Napoli. In the 11th century, the Duchy hired Norman mercenaries and about 1140 it came under Norman control under Roger II, then King of Sicily. In 1228 Emperor Frederick II founded the first university in Europe here, making Napoli the intellectual centre of the kingdom. The conflict between the House of Hohenstaufen and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the Angevin duke Charles I King of Sicily. Charles officially moved the capital from Palermo to Napoli. In 1282 after the "Sicilian Vespers", a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily against the rule of King Charles I, the Kingdom of Sicily was divided into two. The Angevin Kingdom of Naples included the southern part of the Italian peninsula, while the island of Sicily became the Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily. By the 17th century, Naples had become Europe's second-largest city – second only to Paris – with around 250000 inhabitants. The "Complesso Monumentale Donnaregina" consists of two churches. The younger "Donnaregina Nuova" from the 17th century and the "Donnaregina Vecchia" from the 14th century. Today the complex houses the "Museo Diocesano". St. Francis Xavier converts the Indians. Created around 1820 I have already uploaded many photos from Naples from previous trips and will now only add a few. You can find more photos here: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1336774

Sélestat was probably not more than a village when Charlemagne stayed here over Christmas 775. Nowadays Sélestat claims to be the place of origin of the christmas-tree, based on an invoice from 1521. The "Église Sainte-Foy de Sélestat" was built in only 10 years between 1170 and 1180, succeeding an earlier ("Holy Sepulcre") church from around 1085 built by Hildegard von Egisheim. Of this church, only the rectangular crypt (and some carvings) remained. Hildegard´s grandson Frederick I Barbarossa funded the construction of the new church, which was the center of a benedictine monastery, depending on the abbey St. Foy in Conques. The 18th and 19th centuries were times of colonization and many European missionaries were activeall over the world, supported by their native communities. This often brought this kind of "exotism" into the churches.

The first mention of Castelsarrasin dates back to 961, when Count Raymond I of Rouergue bequeathed the Saint-Sauveur church to the Moissac monastery. With its castle and fortifications, Castelsarrasin became an important fortress in the county of Toulouse. During the Middle Ages, the city and area were ravaged by wars. In 1320, during the Shepherds' Crusade (Croisade des pastoureaux), many Jews sought refuge in Castelsarrasin. A Jewish author told, that 200 Jews there took their own lives when they realized that they could not escape their persecutors. According to a Latin source, it was the Pastoureaux who massacred 152 Jews, not just at Castelsarrasin but also in neighboring localities. The Saint-Sauveur church, already mentioned in 961, was rebuilt in 1254 due to the growth of the population. Priory of Moissac Abbey until 1626, it remained the most important of the churches in the diocese of Bas-Montauban until the 1789 Revolution. It is built entirely of brick in the style of the early Gothic architecture of southern France.- Two very exotic faces on the choir stalls. The worldwide missionary work opened churches to such strange icons.

When the Muslims conquered the area in 714, they recognized the value of this strategic location and built a fortress between two ravines. In 1076, Cuenca was unsuccessfully besieged by Sancho Ramírez of Aragon. In 1080 there was a treaty between King Yahya al-Qadir and Alfonso VI. of León and Castile, through which some fortresses were ceded in exchange for military aid. Cuenca was then conquered by Al-Mu'tamid ibn Abbad in 1086. However, when his country was attacked by the Almoravids, he again offered Cuenca to Alfonso in return for military support. The first Christian troops entered the city in 1093. However, the Almoravids conquered it in 1108. As part of the Reconquista, King Alfonso VIII conquered the city from the Moors in 1177 after a nine-month siege. The Diocese of Cuenca was founded in 1183. Alfonso X gave Cuenca the title “ciudad” in 1257. Cuenca is divided into two different areas, the Old Town and the New Town. The first is located on a rocky hill bordered on the north by the gorges of the Júcar River and on the south by its tributary, the Huécar River. Cuenca is a vibrant city with a population of about 55.000. The Cathedral, inspired by the early Gothic architecture of Central Europe (Soissons, Laon...), was built between 1196 and 1257, but many changes were made repeatedly in the following centuries. The entire choir area was renovated in the 15th century, and the decor of the apse were only created in the 17th/18th century. In 1902, the bell tower collapsed after a lightning strike and damaged the facade, whose reconstruction in the neo-Gothic style, which was not true to the original, began eight years later. The current appearance shows that the structure remains unfinished. The exploration of the non-European world created a boom in Christian missionary work. This in turn often led to exotic motifs.

Chief Viriathus ("Viriato") successfully led the Lusitanians here in their resistance against the advancing Romans in the second century BC, until the latter were able to kill Viriathus and also conquer this area. Various milestones of Roman roads crossing here have been preserved. After the invasion of the Suebi and Visigoths in the 6th century AD, Viseu became a bishop's see. From the beginning of the 8th century, the region was ruled by Moors. During the Reconquista, Viseu also remained contested. In 1027, King Alfonso V of León fell during the siege of Viseu. Ferdinand I of León was finally able to conquer the region from the Arabs in 1057. During the revolution of 1383, Viseu suffered some destruction, whereupon King D. João I had the town re-fortified. Archaeological research has shown that there was an early Christian basilica on the site of Viseu Cathedral, which was built during the time of Suevian rule (5th-6th century), as Pope John III had already established a bishopric here in 572. After the reconquista, a first church was built from 1094 to 1114 on the site of today's cathedral. The new cathedral was built between 1289 and 1313 under King Dinis I, and the first cloister was added in 1379. The main portal of the cathedral was built in 1513. In the 16th century, the cloister was also extended and the sacristy was built. In the 17th century, the north tower of the façade was rebuilt in its old form following a collapse. Since then, the exterior of the church has remained largely unchanged, although it has been regularly renovated. The cathedral is a mixture of different architectural styles. From Romanesque to Manueline. Detail from a large nativity scene from the beginning of the 19th century. An African decorated with feathers with a small elephant in the procession of the Magi

The Romans were already here and utilised the hot springs. They built a bridge over the river, the Ponte romana, creating an important communication route, which was of course secured by fortifications. In the 5th century, Ourense became the seat of a bishopric. As the capital of the kingdom of the Suebi, Ourense flourished in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Suebi king Teodomiro († 570) built the first cathedral in Ourense after converting from Arianism to Catholicism. Constant raids by the Moorish conquerors and the Normans devastated the city to such an extent that it remained almost uninhabited for several centuries. It was rebuilt in 1071 under King Sancho II of Castile. In the following centuries, the city gained importance as a bishop's see, but also as a trading centre. In the 13th century, Ourense was an important trading centre in Galicia due to its geographical location and its large Jewish community. The economic decline began after the expulsion of Ourense's Jews in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs. In the centuries that followed, Ourense's importance steadily declined. The Church of Santa Eufemia is a Baroque church just a few metres from the Cathedral of Ourense St Euphemia is a saint who was martyred at the time of Emperor Hadrian. In 1060, a shepherdess in Campelo discovered a grave from which a hand with a golden ring on one finger protruded. The woman took it and lost her speech. She was only able to regain it after returning the ring to the hand that had it. According to legend, a voice was then heard saying that the tomb of St Eufemia was there. The mortal remains were buried under the altar of a hermitage between Braga and Orense. In 1159, the bishop of Orense tried to transfer the saint's body to the city cathedral but this was rejected by the parishioners of Braga, which led to a dispute. It was decided to place the body of the saint in a cart pulled by oxen and to bury her remains in the place where the animals went. The church of Santa Eufemia was built in 1653 as part of a Jesuit college thanks to the Order of the Society of Jesus and was converted into a parish church of the diocese of Ourense in 1767. Mother Teresa / Exotism