Medieval sculpted interlacing stands out in low winter sunshine amid deep shadows in a gallery of the in 1100s Romanesque cloister attached to the cathédrale Notre-Dame de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Haute-Garonne, Occitanie, France, a former Roman Catholic cathedral, now a parish church, that is also called cathédrale Sainte-Marie.
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Occitanie, France: a medieval column capital sculpted with an interlaced design stands out in slanting sunlight amid deep December shadows in the Romanesque cloister built in the 1100s on the southern side of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame, the former Cathedral of Saint Mary. The cloister, built on uneven ground above ancient ramparts, has an irregular shape and its southern gallery is unique amongst Romanesque cloisters in having an open south side, which offers superb views of the Pyrenean foothills. The east, west and south galleries are formed by round Romanesque arches on double rows of columns, crowned by capitals carved with foliage, animal heads and rustic scenes, as well as interlacing. One pillar carries sculpted depictions of the four evangelists and their symbols. The northern walk, rebuilt in the 1400s and 1500s, is named the Gallery of Tombs, but only seven tombs of monks, benefactors and monastic visitors now survive. The former cathedral (its diocese was abolished in 1793) stands above the Garonne Valley. Buried here is its founder, Bertrand de l’Isle Jourdain, a knight related to the Counts of Toulouse and an Augustinian canon. He built the cathedral and its cloister as Bishop of Comminges and was canonised in 1222, 99 years after his death. A magnificent early 15th century painted mausoleum with a silver and ebony reliquary housing his mortal remains stands in the sanctuary. Over time, the cathedral and its village, built amid the remains of an ancient Gallo-Roman colony, became an important stage for pilgrims following the Camino de Santiago or Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela. It is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site devoted to the Camino de Santiago in France.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Occitanie, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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