Bunches of grapes and broad green leaves amid the curving shoots and tendrils of a vine. Detail of medieval mosaic in restored late-1000s or early 1100s pavement in former Benedictine abbey church at Sorde l'Abbaye, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Sorde l'Abbaye, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France: broad green leaves and small clusters of grapes flourish amid intertwined vine shoots skilfully depicted by medieval mosaic artists in the pavement of the Romanesque abbey church of Saint-Jean de Sordes. The vine, twisting and curling across the floor, is among mosaics created for the church in the late 11th or early 12th century that have been rated as the finest example of Romanesque art in the Landes area of southwest France. The designs, paving the choir behind the altar, were made from tesserae no more than 2 cm across. They were covered over, probably in the 17th century, but were rediscovered during 19th century building work. Missing areas were at first replaced by marble tiles and further 'restoration' in 1893 was in whimsical Italian style. In 1984, some of the 19th century work was removed, and in 2007, when the choir was restored, the entire pavement was lifted and only the medieval parts re-laid. The Benedictine Abbey of St John, built on the site of a 3rd century AD Gallo-Roman villa, was founded in the 10th century as a stopping-place on the Camino de Santiago or Way of St James Christian pilgrimage route. The abbey church and abbot's house survived the 16th century Wars of Religion, but although other monastic buildings were rebuilt, the monks fled during the French Revolution. The remains of the abbey now have UNESCO World Heritage site status. Marble mosaics from the Gallo-Roman villa have also been found at Sorde l'Abbaye, which was originally known as Sordes. Although the villa walls have disappeared, remains of its thermal baths survive.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Sorde l'Abbaye, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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