Martin M. Miles' photos

Saint-Pierre, parish church of Gourdon, was erected in Gothic style from 1304 to 1509 on the foundations of an older Romanesque church. The nave and the southern tower were already completed in 1311. The second tower was just finsihed, before the Hundred Years War brought the works to halt. The church got damaged in 1562 by Protestant troops, the restauration started end of the 16th century.

Saint-Pierre, parish church of Gourdon, was erected in Gothic style from 1304 to 1509 on the foundations of an older Romanesque church. The nave and the southern tower were already completed in 1311. The second tower was just finsihed, before the Hundred Years War brought the works to halt. The church got damaged in 1562 by Protestant troops, the restauration started end of the 16th century.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Many capitals line nave. School reunion. "Is this really you?"

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Many capitals line nave. A woman playing with two winged snakes. This species of snakes is meanwhile extinct.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Many capitals line nave. Matthew 16 18,19 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Many capitals line nave. Here is a "Weighing of Souls" (aka "Psichostasia"). Archangel Michael weighs the soul in a scale the good and bad deeds, while the devil intervenes, using trickery to make the scale fall on his side and take the soul to Hell. The small body symbolizes the soul.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. In the west, near the portal of Saint-Martin is this huge baptismal font. The metal lid was created in the 19thn century, but the baptismal font itself is from the 12th. It is decorated with three of the four evangelist symbols: lion (Mark), eagle (John) and angel (Matthew).

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century. Legends tell, that he was a disciple of Saint Martin of Tour. For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but it entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. Excavations, undertaken in the 1980s, proved, that Gregory of Tour´s description was pretty precise. The foundations of two merovingian churches were found under the church of today. They can be seen in the "crypte archéologiques".

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. The nave, flanked by massive pillars.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. There are many graffiti on the outside walls of the church. Here Denis Bone (?) left his name. Was he a butcher?

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. The church got altered, rebuilt and renovated many times over the time, but the corbels and capitals around the apse are Romanesque. Here is Samson tearing a lion apart with his bare hands.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. The church got altered, rebuilt and renovated many times over the time, but the corbels and capitals around the apse are Romanesque. Here is a very weathered Luxuria.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. The church got altered, rebuilt and renovated many times over the time, but the corbels and capitals around the apse are Romanesque.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" ("Saint Martin the Spaniard") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end of the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835. The church got altered, rebuilt and renovated many times over the time, but the corbels and capitals around the apse are Romanesque, from from the first building period.

Brive´s parish church is a former collegiate church. The large church was erected in the 12th/13th century, where already Gregory of Tours mentions a church. This was built over the tomb of missionary "Saint Martin l'Espagnol" (aka "Saint Martin den Brive") at the end of the fifth century . For the first two centries the collegiate, founded end if the 11th century, prospered, supported by the Bishops of Limoge, but entered financial difficulties later. The cloister of the collegiate was destroyed in 1764, after the Augustin canons living here, joined the Priory of Port-Dieu. After the Revolution the the conventual buildings were bought by City and demolished in 1835.

The "Cafe de Bordeaux" is a small, forgotten architectural jewel in Brive-la-Gaillarde.

The city of Thiviers has been conquered, ruined and looted a couple of times. At the end of the 12th century it was English, taken by Richard Lionheart, later it was French again. Lionheart´s brother John Lackland conquered Thiviers in 1211, but only a year later, it was reconquered by French troops. 1374 - 1376 it was English again, before finally Charles VI. (aka "le Bien-Aimé", "le Fou") took over. In 1575, during the Wars of Religion, Thiviers was conquered by Calvinists, who ruined the church and massacred the Catholic population. So Notre-Dame de l'Assomption is the result of many rebuilding and reconstruction periods. The last one was completed within the 19th century. Only the transept and some capitals date back to the 12th century. Here is one of the capitals. The two executioners, holding the doomed offender, on their way to work. Poor guy!

The city of Thiviers has been conquered, ruined and looted a couple of times. At the end of the 12th century it was English, taken by Richard Lionheart, later it was French again. Lionheart´s brother John Lackland conquered Thiviers in 1211, but only a year later, it was reconquered by French troops. 1374 - 1376 it was English again, before finally Charles VI. (aka "le Bien-Aimé", "le Fou") took over. In 1575, during the Wars of Religion, Thiviers was conquered by Calvinists, who ruined the church and massacred the Catholic population. So Notre-Dame de l'Assomption is the result of many rebuilding and reconstruction periods. The last one was completed within the 19th century. Only the transept and some capitals date back to the 12th century. Here is one of the capitals. Are the lions (and the puppet-like riders) beiong devoured by the large heads on the corners? Or do the lions share these heads? Or... what about the body below the lions in the center. What do the puppets hold in their hands. Why is the left rider so much larger, but sits wrong around on the lion? Or...