Tournai fonts

The former collegiate church, dedicated to Saint Laurent (aka "Lawrence of Rome"), is located on the foot of a hill, that once was occupied by a castle, that got completely demolished in 1817. The Gothic choir, dating to the 12th century, is the oldest part of the church, that got much altered and fortified in the 17th century. This baptismal font may even be older than the choir. Rectangular fonts, carved from bluestone ("Pierre bleue de Tournai"), were very popular in Northern France within the 12th century.

In 720 Charlemagne´s great grandmother Bertrada had founded the Prüm Abbey, from where in 830 the Benedictine monastery "Novum Monasterium" was founded here. While the Prüm Abbey owned the "Sandals of Jesus", important relics in Medieval times, the newly founded convent got the relics of Chrysanthus und Daria, who had been martyred in Rome during the Diocletian persecution. The existing church of the abbey burnt down around 1100, so the abbey church, seen here, was built within the 12th and 13th century. The design of the westwerk is very similar to that one of St. Pantaleon in Cologne (about 50kms northeast). The Benedictine monastery existed upto the end of the 12th century, when it was converted into a college of canons, that existed upto 1803. Since then the church serves the parish, but it was in a miserable status. One of the towers collapsed in 1872. The rebuilding was completed in 1890. Only a part of the remarkable baptismal font suvived the times. It is carved from "bluestone", that probably came from Namur or Tournai. Exactly this type of font (with four heads) was very popular in Northern France in the 12th/13th century.

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces.

A church in Jeantes was known since the 12th century, as it got mentioned in a charter of the Bishop of Laon Barthélémy. The building seen today was built from bricks around 1620-30 and probably replaced the older one. The interior of the church is surprising, as in 1962 the Dutch artist Charles Eyck created great frescoes, covering 200 m² of the interior walls. This baptismal font was probably part of the 12th century church. Rectangular fonts, carved from bluestone ("Pierre bleue de Tournai") must have been very popular and the state of the art in Northern France within the 12th century.

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces.

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces. The creation of Eve

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces. The temptation

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces. The explusion

East Meon was part of a Royal Manor belonging first to King Alfred the Great who left it in his will to his youngest son Æthelweard (c.880-922). The Domesday Book of 1086 shows that the Manor then belonged to William the Conqueror. There is uncertainty as to when building work on the church commenced, one source gives a date between 1130 and 1140,while the parish history gives 1080. The church was probably built on a site where there was a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon structure. The original church was in the shape of a cross, 110 feet long and 62 feet wide, and is easily identified by the Romanesque arches. The tower is of c. 1150, although the lead-covered broach spire is probably 1230, The decoration – scallops and zigzag – is similar to that found on Winchester Cathedral. I had already seen some baptismal fonts in England that resembled the "Tournai Fonts". This one, dated 1130/40 is a Tournai font. These fonts were made from blue black limestone during the 12th and early 13th centuries in and around the Belgian town of Tournai by local masons. The friezes on this font depict the creation of Adam and Eve, the temptation, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden and Adam being shown how to dig and various animals, birds and dragons on the south and west faces. Adam is shown how to use a shovel by an angel, while Eve can already spin.

Winchester, today a town with a population of about 40.000, played an important role in the history of England. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, Winchester was the capital of England and before that the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The Romans already knew the place under the name "Venta Belgarum". In the middle of the 9th century, St Swithin was Bishop of Winchester. At the end of the 9th century, the city also became part of a number of fortifications along the south coast of England, built by Alfred the Great. Winchester remained the capital of Wessex and later England until after the Norman Conquest, when the Normans chose London as their capital in 1066. Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community was one of the most important in England. There were a series of blood libel claims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which likely was the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue. Simon de Montfort ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews were expelled from England. A pre-Norman cathedral was founded in 642 on a site immediately north of the present one. This building became known as the Old Minster. It became part of a monastic settlement in 971 and was demolished in 1093. Edward the Confessor was crowned in the Old Minster in 1043. The cathedral in its present form was built between 1079 and 1532 and is dedicated to numerous saints, in particular Swithun of Winchester. It has a very long and very wide nave, an early English transept, Norman transepts and a tower. With a total length of 170 metres, it is probably the longest medieval cathedral in Europe. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he began to install his own bishops in place of the Anglo-Saxon bishops. William installed his friend and relative Walkelin as the first Norman Bishop of Winchester in 1070, and nine years later Walkelin began the construction of a huge Norman cathedral. The new cathedral was consecrated with the completion of the east end in 1093, and the many tombs of Saxon kings moved from the Old Minster into the new cathedral. Then the demolition of the New and Old Minsters began, and quickly progressed, leaving virtually no remains. The outline of the Old Minster can still be seen today to the north of the present nave. The first alteration to Walkelin's cathedral was in 1202 when Bishop Godfrey de Luci started construction of a new Early English retrochoir, this resulted in the demolition of the Norman apse. In 1346, Bishop Edington had the Norman west front demolished and began building a new Perpendicular Gothic facade, featuring a huge west window, which still stands today. Edington also began renovation of the nave. Master mason William Wynford remodelled the massive Norman nave into a soaring Perpendicular Gothic masterpiece. The 12th-century Tournai font was gifted to the cathedral by Henry of Blois (aka Henry of Winchester) who was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171. The font weighs 1.5 tonnes and is made from Carboniferous limestone from Belgium.

Winchester, today a town with a population of about 40.000, played an important role in the history of England. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, Winchester was the capital of England and before that the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The Romans already knew the place under the name "Venta Belgarum". In the middle of the 9th century, St Swithin was Bishop of Winchester. At the end of the 9th century, the city also became part of a number of fortifications along the south coast of England, built by Alfred the Great. Winchester remained the capital of Wessex and later England until after the Norman Conquest, when the Normans chose London as their capital in 1066. Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community was one of the most important in England. There were a series of blood libel claims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which likely was the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue. Simon de Montfort ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews were expelled from England. A pre-Norman cathedral was founded in 642 on a site immediately north of the present one. This building became known as the Old Minster. It became part of a monastic settlement in 971 and was demolished in 1093. Edward the Confessor was crowned in the Old Minster in 1043. The cathedral in its present form was built between 1079 and 1532 and is dedicated to numerous saints, in particular Swithun of Winchester. It has a very long and very wide nave, an early English transept, Norman transepts and a tower. With a total length of 170 metres, it is probably the longest medieval cathedral in Europe. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he began to install his own bishops in place of the Anglo-Saxon bishops. William installed his friend and relative Walkelin as the first Norman Bishop of Winchester in 1070, and nine years later Walkelin began the construction of a huge Norman cathedral. The new cathedral was consecrated with the completion of the east end in 1093, and the many tombs of Saxon kings moved from the Old Minster into the new cathedral. Then the demolition of the New and Old Minsters began, and quickly progressed, leaving virtually no remains. The outline of the Old Minster can still be seen today to the north of the present nave. The first alteration to Walkelin's cathedral was in 1202 when Bishop Godfrey de Luci started construction of a new Early English retrochoir, this resulted in the demolition of the Norman apse. In 1346, Bishop Edington had the Norman west front demolished and began building a new Perpendicular Gothic facade, featuring a huge west window, which still stands today. Edington also began renovation of the nave. Master mason William Wynford remodelled the massive Norman nave into a soaring Perpendicular Gothic masterpiece. The 12th-century Tournai font was gifted to the cathedral by Henry of Blois (aka Henry of Winchester) who was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171. The font weighs 1.5 tonnes and is made from Carboniferous limestone from Belgium.

Winchester, today a town with a population of about 40.000, played an important role in the history of England. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, Winchester was the capital of England and before that the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The Romans already knew the place under the name "Venta Belgarum". In the middle of the 9th century, St Swithin was Bishop of Winchester. At the end of the 9th century, the city also became part of a number of fortifications along the south coast of England, built by Alfred the Great. Winchester remained the capital of Wessex and later England until after the Norman Conquest, when the Normans chose London as their capital in 1066. Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community was one of the most important in England. There were a series of blood libel claims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which likely was the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue. Simon de Montfort ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews were expelled from England. A pre-Norman cathedral was founded in 642 on a site immediately north of the present one. This building became known as the Old Minster. It became part of a monastic settlement in 971 and was demolished in 1093. Edward the Confessor was crowned in the Old Minster in 1043. The cathedral in its present form was built between 1079 and 1532 and is dedicated to numerous saints, in particular Swithun of Winchester. It has a very long and very wide nave, an early English transept, Norman transepts and a tower. With a total length of 170 metres, it is probably the longest medieval cathedral in Europe. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he began to install his own bishops in place of the Anglo-Saxon bishops. William installed his friend and relative Walkelin as the first Norman Bishop of Winchester in 1070, and nine years later Walkelin began the construction of a huge Norman cathedral. The new cathedral was consecrated with the completion of the east end in 1093, and the many tombs of Saxon kings moved from the Old Minster into the new cathedral. Then the demolition of the New and Old Minsters began, and quickly progressed, leaving virtually no remains. The outline of the Old Minster can still be seen today to the north of the present nave. The first alteration to Walkelin's cathedral was in 1202 when Bishop Godfrey de Luci started construction of a new Early English retrochoir, this resulted in the demolition of the Norman apse. In 1346, Bishop Edington had the Norman west front demolished and began building a new Perpendicular Gothic facade, featuring a huge west window, which still stands today. Edington also began renovation of the nave. Master mason William Wynford remodelled the massive Norman nave into a soaring Perpendicular Gothic masterpiece. The 12th-century Tournai font was gifted to the cathedral by Henry of Blois (aka Henry of Winchester) who was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171. The font weighs 1.5 tonnes and is made from Carboniferous limestone from Belgium. Featured are the healings of Saint Nicholas.

Winchester, today a town with a population of about 40.000, played an important role in the history of England. In the 10th and early 11th centuries, Winchester was the capital of England and before that the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex. The Romans already knew the place under the name "Venta Belgarum". In the middle of the 9th century, St Swithin was Bishop of Winchester. At the end of the 9th century, the city also became part of a number of fortifications along the south coast of England, built by Alfred the Great. Winchester remained the capital of Wessex and later England until after the Norman Conquest, when the Normans chose London as their capital in 1066. Jews lived in Winchester from at least 1148, and in the 13th century the Jewish community was one of the most important in England. There were a series of blood libel claims against the Jewish community in the 1220s and 1230s, which likely was the cause of the hanging of the community's leader, Abraham Pinch, in front of the synagogue. Simon de Montfort ransacked the Jewish quarter in 1264, and in 1290 all Jews were expelled from England. A pre-Norman cathedral was founded in 642 on a site immediately north of the present one. This building became known as the Old Minster. It became part of a monastic settlement in 971 and was demolished in 1093. Edward the Confessor was crowned in the Old Minster in 1043. The cathedral in its present form was built between 1079 and 1532 and is dedicated to numerous saints, in particular Swithun of Winchester. It has a very long and very wide nave, an early English transept, Norman transepts and a tower. With a total length of 170 metres, it is probably the longest medieval cathedral in Europe. When William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, he began to install his own bishops in place of the Anglo-Saxon bishops. William installed his friend and relative Walkelin as the first Norman Bishop of Winchester in 1070, and nine years later Walkelin began the construction of a huge Norman cathedral. The new cathedral was consecrated with the completion of the east end in 1093, and the many tombs of Saxon kings moved from the Old Minster into the new cathedral. Then the demolition of the New and Old Minsters began, and quickly progressed, leaving virtually no remains. The outline of the Old Minster can still be seen today to the north of the present nave. The first alteration to Walkelin's cathedral was in 1202 when Bishop Godfrey de Luci started construction of a new Early English retrochoir, this resulted in the demolition of the Norman apse. In 1346, Bishop Edington had the Norman west front demolished and began building a new Perpendicular Gothic facade, featuring a huge west window, which still stands today. Edington also began renovation of the nave. Master mason William Wynford remodelled the massive Norman nave into a soaring Perpendicular Gothic masterpiece. The 12th-century Tournai font was gifted to the cathedral by Henry of Blois (aka Henry of Winchester) who was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to 1171. The font weighs 1.5 tonnes and is made from Carboniferous limestone from Belgium. Featured are the healings of Saint Nicholas.

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. This baptismal font, carved from black limestone ("Tournai stone") was carved in the 11th century and was used probably already inside the Romanesque cathedral, that burned during the Easter Insurrection.

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. This baptismal font, carved from black limestone ("Tournai stone") was carved in the 11th century and was used probably already inside the Romanesque cathedral, that burned during the Easter Insurrection. A dog is on this side of the font. Or a lion.

In Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, St. Remi founded a bishopric in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. A Carolingian cathedral, consecrated in 800 in the presence of Charlemagne, existed here. The Carolingian structure got replaced two centuries later by a Romanesque structure, consecrated in 1071. This cathedral was torched by the citizens during the Easter Insurrection on 25 April 1112. Bishop Waldric (aka "Gaudry"), who had served as Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107 (and described as greedy and very violent) was killed during the uproar. The cathedral got repaired, but in the end demolished to give room for the present cathedral. The construction began about 1160. The nave was completed after 1205. The "Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon", towering over the town, is a wonderful, early example of the Gothic style that developed in Northern France. This baptismal font, carved from black limestone ("Tournai stone") was carved in the 11th century and was used probably already inside the Romanesque cathedral, that burned during the Easter Insurrection. There was a dog or lion on the oppsote side (previous upload). Here is chimera, a bird with a a snake´s tail. The snake even has a head!

Towards the end of the Frankish period, a settlement was established here, later another followed in the shadow of a castle built by Emperor Otto II in the second half of the 10th century. The name Dendermonde is first mentioned in a document from 1087. In 1223, a Cistercian abbey was founded, and in 1233, Robrecht van Bethune granted Dendermonde city rights. As early as the 13th century, Dendermonde was a walled and ramparted city. It is believed that Ringoot II, Lord of Dendermonde, had the church built in the 11th century. Numerous alterations were made from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The most important parts are built in the Scheldt Gothic style. The octagonal tower at the crossing dates from 1388. After its destruction during the Calvinist period (1578-1584), new furniture was installed. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, various parts of the church were rebuilt, some in the Neo-Gothic style. The baptismal font in Dendermonde dates from the second half of the 12th century and originates from the predecessor building of the present church. It is one of the finest examples of the fonts, that were made in Tournai during the 12th and early 13th centuries.

Towards the end of the Frankish period, a settlement was established here, later another followed in the shadow of a castle built by Emperor Otto II in the second half of the 10th century. The name Dendermonde is first mentioned in a document from 1087. In 1223, a Cistercian abbey was founded, and in 1233, Robrecht van Bethune granted Dendermonde city rights. As early as the 13th century, Dendermonde was a walled and ramparted city. It is believed that Ringoot II, Lord of Dendermonde, had the church built in the 11th century. Numerous alterations were made from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The most important parts are built in the Scheldt Gothic style. The octagonal tower at the crossing dates from 1388. After its destruction during the Calvinist period (1578-1584), new furniture was installed. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, various parts of the church were rebuilt, some in the Neo-Gothic style. The baptismal font in Dendermonde dates from the second half of the 12th century and originates from the predecessor building of the present church. It is one of the finest examples of the fonts, that were made in Tournai during the 12th and early 13th centuries.