,,romanesque ,,art ,,in ,,southern ,,manche3 ,,album #bjaj by ,marie ,lebert is licensed under ,,cc ,,by-,,nc-,,sa #d4j4 ,to view a copy of this license1 visit https3_/_/creativecommons4org_/licenses_ /by-nc-sa_/#d4j_/ ,,romanesque ,,art ,,in ,,southern ,,manche3 ,,album ,,marie ,,lebert ,,with ,,photos ,,by ,,alain ,,dermigny ,,and ,,claude ,,rayon ,author's note3 ,please forgive my mistakes in ,english1 if any4 ,my mother tongue is ,french4 ,this album is also available in ,french1 with the title ,art roman dans le ,sud-,manche3 ,album 7#b74 ,each paragraph ends with its associated image filename4 ,illustration #jja4 ,in this album1 there are no monuments described in all touristic guides4 ,on the contrary1 these twelve ,romanesque churches are little known4 ,they are located in ,southern ,manche1 that is to say in the southern part of the department of ,manche1 in ,normandy1 along the coast or in the countryside4 ,these churches were built in the #ajth1 #aath and #abth century by villagers and parishioners1 with local stones--schist and granite--on the medieval roads used by pilgrims to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel1 their final destination after travelling for many months4 ,illustration #jjb4 ,southern ,manche4 ,the map of the region4 ,from north to south1 these blue spots show the churches of ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux1 ,brville1 ,yquelon1 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer1 ,angey1 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas1 ,dragey1 ,gents1 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains1 ,saint-,loup and ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme1 without forgetting the beautiful ,romanesque gate in ,sartilly4 ,this map was digitized by ,georges ,cercel4 ,illustration #jjc4 ,southern ,manche4 ,an old map of the region4 ,this region has belonged to ,cotentin for its northern part and ,avranchin for its southern part4 ,the limit between ,cotentin and ,avranchin is the small river ,thar1 that flows into the ,channel at the south of ,granville4 ,in the ,middle ,ages1 this region was rich1 with more people living on the coast than inside the land4 ,the economic life was active1 with fisheries1 salines near ,saint-,martin-de-,brhal1 ,brville and ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains1 pitch sand and kelp used as fertilizers1 and a number of intensive cultures4 ,this old map belongs to the collection of the city library in ,granville4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#jb ,illustration #jjd4 ,southern ,manche4 ,the deanery of ,saint-,pair4 ,the parishes of ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux1 ,brville1 ,yquelon and ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer were part of the deanery of ,saint-,pair1 one of the five deaneries of the archidiachon of ,coutances4 ,the archidiachon of ,coutances was one of the four archidiachons of the diocese of ,coutances1 the other ones being the archidiachons of ,cotentin1 ,bauptois and ,val-de-,vire4 ,map by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jje4 ,southern ,manche4 ,the deanery of ,gents4 ,the parishes of ,angey1 ,sartilly1 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas1 ,dragey and ,gents were part of the deanery of ,gents and the archidiachon of ,avranches1 like the priory of ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the archidiachon of ,avranches included three other deaneries3 the deanery of ,avranches1 the deanery of ,tirepied 7that included the parish of ,saint-,loup7 and the deanery of the ,chrtient 7,christendom74 ,the deanery of the ,chrtient included nine parishes around the episcopal town of ,avranches1 including the parish of ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,map by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jjf4 ,southern ,manche4 ,the medieval roads going to ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,this region was crossed by several roads used by pilgrims to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,at the north of ,avranches1 we had from west to east the shore road coming from ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer1 the road coming from ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer 7with a different route71 the road coming from ,coutances1 the road coming from ,saint-,l1 and the road coming from ,caen4 ,at the south of ,avranches1 a medieval road was used by the pilgrims coming from ,tinchebray1 ,cond-sur-,noireau1 ,falaise or ,lisieux to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,map by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jjg4 ,southern ,manche4 ,geological map4 ,all these churches were built in granite and schist1 which were the local stones4 ,sedimentary grounds formed by schist rocks surround two large granite grounds1 those of ,vire and ,avranches4 ,laying down from east to west1 the granite ground of ,vire is around five kilometers large1 and ends on the west with the cliffs of ,carolles and ,champeaux4 ,laying down from west to east1 the granite ground of ,avranches is narrower1 and only from two to four kilometers large4 ,these granite grounds are both surrounded by a metamorphic ring formed with schist rocks and grauwack 7a kind of schist7 rocks4 ,the ground of ,saint-,pair is a flysch 7detritic ground7 formed with grauwack rocks1 siltit rocks et black argilit rocks with some schist inside4 ,the ground of ,granville is a flysch formed with grauwack rocks alternating with schist rocks4 ,map by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jjh4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,location4 ,the village of ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux is located between ,brhal and the sea1 near the haven of the ,venle1 #b kilometers west of ,brhal and #i kilometers north of ,granville4 ,the village was situated on the medieval road coming from ,cherbourg and going to ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel1 the final destination for many pilgrims4 ,illustration #jji4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the church1 in ruins1 stands on a hill4 ,the church was under ,st ,martin's patronage1 and the second saint was ,st4 ,eutropius4 ,the parish belonged to the deanery of ,st-,pair and the archidiachon of ,coutances4 ,foulques ,paynel1 probably a relative of ,guillaume ,paynel1 founder of the ,abbey of ,hambye in #aade1 gave to the abbey part of the tithe of the parish of ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux1 a donation mentioned in the cartulary of the ,abbey of ,hambye4 ,during the ,french ,revolution1 the church was used as an arsenal and all its furniture was sold4 ,it became a church again in #ahja but1 as it was threatening to collapse around #ahjd or #ahje1 it was no longer used4 ,since that time1 the parish of ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux is part of the parish of ,brhal4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ja ,illustration #jaj4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the ,romanesque ruins1 with a double belfry added in the #afth century4 ,the ruins were overgrown by vegetation for a while4 ,the masonry is made of irregular blocks in schist and granite4 ,the arches and abutments of the openings are in granite4 ,the schist is the local stone4 ,the granit could come from the granite ground of ,vire a few miles south4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jjb ,illustration #jaa4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the ,romanesque ruins4 ,between the choir and the nave1 a double belfry 7double because intended for two bells7 was added in the #afth century1 and built in pink granite from ,chausey 7an island not far from ,granville74 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jjc ,illustration #jab4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building is formed by a long nave and a flat apse choir4 ,the whole building has an external length of #bf1e meters and an external width of #f1d meters 7width of the front74 ,the double belfry added in the #afth century rises between nave and choir4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jac4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the south wall of the ,romanesque nave4 ,the large bay with a lowered centering was probably added in the #afth century1 during the building of the double belfry4 ,on the right of this large bay1 the centering of the small ,romanesque bay is carved in a granite block4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jjd ,illustration #jad4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the south wall of the ,romanesque nave and its door1 with its lowered centering and its abutments with chamfered edges4 ,the small bay on the left is also ,romanesque4 ,the masonry of the walls is made of irregular blocks of schist and granite4 ,elements of opus spicatum 7fishbone masonry7 are visible1 a proof the south wall is the oldest part of the church4 ,above the door1 the little trefoil bay was probably added in the #afth century1 during the building of the belfry4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jje ,illustration #jae4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,the small ,romanesque bay in the south wall of the nave1 with its lowered centering and its abutments in granite4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#jd ,illustration #jaf4 ,saint-,martin-le-,vieux4 ,behind the old cross1 the double belfry from the #afth century1 built in granite from ,chausey4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#je ,illustration #jag4 ,brville4 ,location4 ,the village of ,brville is located on the coast1 about #f kilometers north of ,granville4 ,it was situated on a medieval road that came from ,cherbourg to go to ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer before reaching ,mont ,saint-,michel1 the final destination for many pilgrims4 ,illustration #jah4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque church in front of the line of dunes4 ,in the background1 the tip of ,granville stands on the left4 ,but1 ,in ,medieval ,ages1 ,granville was almost non-existent1 and the main town was ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#aa ,illustration #jai4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque church among the trees4 ,in the #abth century1 ,brville had an active economic life1 with fisheries1 salines1 pitch sand and kelp used as fertilizers1 and intensive crops4 ,the territory of the parish was owned by ,mont ,saint-,michel since #ajbb1 when ,richard ,,ii1 duke of ,normandy1 gave the barony of ,saint-,pair to ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,in the #acth century1 the patronage was secular1 with ,guillelmus de ,breinville as the lord between #abea and #abgi4 ,the tithe was shared between the pastor and the abbot of ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,in the #afth century1 ,brville1 with its church and salines1 was a prebend for the cathedral of ,coutances4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jjf ,illustration #jbj4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque church was under the patronage of ,our ,lady 7,notre ,dame1 in ,french71 and the second saint was ,st4 ,helier4 ,the parish belonged to the deanery of ,saint-,pair and the archidiachon of ,coutances4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jjg ,illustration #jba4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque church is composed of a two-span nave followed by a two-span choir with a flat apse4 ,the square tower rises between choir and nave4 ,most of the nave1 the tower base and the side walls of the choir are ,romanesque1 and probably from the second half of the #abth century4 ,the masonry is made of irregular blocks of schist4 ,granite is used for the buttresses1 the abutments of openings1 the attached piers1 the columns and the arches4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#jjf ,illustration #jbb4 ,brville4 ,the sacristy is the five-sided small building located in the extension of the choir4 ,it was added much later1 in the #aith century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jji ,illustration #jbc4 ,brville4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building is formed by a two-row nave and a two-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #bg1ge meters and an external width of #g1fe meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower rises between choir and nave4 ,the small five-sided building in the extension of the choir houses the sacristy4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jbd4 ,brville4 ,the church tower1 between choir and nave1 has a ,romanesque base1 while the floor in slight recess and the spire are from the late #aeth or early #afth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jaj ,illustration #jbe4 ,brville4 ,the church tower reaching the sky4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#jg ,illustration #jbf4 ,brville4 ,the first floor and spire of the church tower4 ,the first floor is opened on each side by a long narrow opening4 ,the octagonal stone spire has angles rounded by tori1 with a small gable with thin columns in the extension of each opening4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jaa ,illustration #jbg4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque gate in the south base of the tower1 with a semi-circular arch formed by a grain molded by a torus followed by a chamfer carved with slightly visible saw-teeth4 ,the archivolt is a thick band adorned with saw-teeth in high relief carved with a hollow row of triangular sticks4 ,the archivolt rests on the right on a stone carved with a human head1 while disappearing on the left into the masonry of the nave4 ,the central keystone of the arch is adorned with a large human head carved in high relief4 ,the capitals baskets of the attached columns are carved with two angle hooks4 ,the two human heads1 carved in a limestone1 didn't resist well to the test of time1 as well as the angle hooks4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jab ,illustration #jbh4 ,brville4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque gate in the south base of the tower4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jbi4 ,brville4 ,above the ,romanesque gate in the south base of the tower1 a human head carved in a limestone didn't resist well to the test of time1 unlike the heads carved in granite in the south gate of the church of ,yquelon4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jac ,illustration #jcj4 ,brville4 ,the ,romanesque gate in the south base of the tower4 ,the archivolt topping the semi-circular arch rests on a granite stone carved with a human head4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jad ,illustration #jca4 ,brville4 ,a ,romanesque modillion carved with a human head1 under the cornice4 ,most other modillions1 more recent1 are plain and only chamfered4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jae ,illustration #jcb4 ,brville4 ,a ,romanesque modillion carved with a human head1 under the cornice4 ,this modillion is above the bay of the second row of the nave4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jaf ,illustration #jcc4 ,brville4 ,the choir 7inside74 ,its ribbed vault is from the late #aeth or early #afth century4 ,the tiles of the second row of the choir are from #ahfc4 ,the floor of the first row is covered with schist pavings from ,beauchamps laid in #aifi4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jag ,illustration #jcd4 ,brville4 ,the nave 7inside74 ,its wooden ceiling was replaced by a plaster ceiling in #aheb4 ,the door and the large bay visible in the back wall--which is the west wall of the front--doesn't have much character because of the rebuilding of the church front in #aghc4 ,the pegged oak door is from #aigj4 ,in #aifi1 the walls were covered with a lime plaster1 and the floor with schist pavings from ,beauchamps4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jah ,illustration #jce4 ,brville4 ,the nave 7inside74 ,the plaster ceiling from #aheb was recently replaced by a wooden ceiling1 like in old times4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ji ,illustration #jcf4 ,brville4 ,the tower base 7inside71 between choir and nave4 ,in the foreground1 an arch with chamfered edges rests on half-attached columns4 ,this arch between the choir and the tower base was redone during the renovation of the choir in the #aeth or #afth century4 ,in the background1 the arch between the nave and the tower base belongs to the original ,romanesque building4 ,this is a slightly triangular arch with irregular quoins1 resting on two thick attached piers4 ,the pier impost is molded with a chemfered band4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jai ,illustration #jcg4 ,brville4 ,the main altar1 situated in the apse of the choir1 with a statue of ,our ,lady on the left--the church is under her patronage--and a statue of ,st4 ,helier--the second saint--on the right4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbj ,illustration #jch4 ,brville4 ,a detail of the main altar1 in the apse of the choir4 ,a statue of ,our ,lady1 the patron saint of the church4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jba ,illustration #jci4 ,brville4 ,a detail of the main altar1 in the apse of the choir4 ,the statue of ,st4 ,helier1 second saint of the church4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbb ,illustration #jdj4 ,brville4 ,the fountain ,saint-,hlier4 ,this fountain was topped by the statue of ,st4 ,helier that is now in the background1 on the right4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#aj ,illustration #jda4 ,yquelon4 ,location4 ,the village of ,yquelon is located #b kilometers from ,granville1 between the villages of ,donville-les-,bains and ,saint-,nicolas1 at the south of the river ,boscq4 ,the name ,yquelon has ,scandinavian roots and means oak branch4 ,yquelon was situated on the medieval road coming from ,cherbourg and going to ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer before reaching ,mont ,saint-,michel1 the final destination for many pilgrims4 ,illustration #jdb4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church4 ,the territory of the parish was part of the barony of ,saint-,pair1 owned by ,mont ,saint-,michel since #ajbb1 when ,richard ,,ii1 duke of ,normandy1 gave the barony to the ,mont4 ,the lord of ,yquelon1 ,rogerius de ,ikelun1 affixed his signature to two main charters of the ,abbey of the ,lucerne in #aafb4 ,in the #acth century1 the patronage was certainly secular4 ,the tithe was shared between the pastor1 who was receiving most of it1 the ,abbey of ,montmorel 7located in ,poilley1 near ,ducey71 and the leper hospital ,saint-,blaise de ,champeaux4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbc ,illustration #jdc4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church is under ,st4 ,pair's patronage1 and the second saint is ,st4 ,maur4 ,the parish belonged to the deanery of ,saint-,pair and the archidiachon of ,coutances4 ,the churches of ,yquelon and ,brville have similarities1 because they are near by and were both built in the second half of the #abth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbd ,illustration #jdd4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church is formed by a two-row nave followed by a two-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the large square tower with its three floors in slight recess and a saddleback roof--is adjacent to the first row on the north side of the choir4 ,the rectangular openings show that the tower was partly rebuilt since the #abth century4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ab ,illustration #jde4 ,yquelon4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building has a two-row nave followed by a two-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #ba1ge meters and an external width of #g1f meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower is adjacent to the first row of the north side of the choir4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jdf4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church front4 ,its masonry is made from irregular blocks of schist and granite1 that are local stones4 ,the front wall is strengthened at each end by a flat buttress resting on a stone wall4 ,the three semi-circular bays above the portal were opened in #ahif1 to replace a large rectangular bay1 that had itself replaced the two small original ,romanesque bays4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbe ,illustration #jdg4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church front4 ,its gable wall is topped by an antefix cross with bifid branches4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbf ,illustration #jdh4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque church front4 ,the oculus in the gable wall is original4 ,its band is adorned with billets1 with a stone carved with two human heads in high relief in its lower part4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbg ,illustration #jdi4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque west gate4 ,its semi-circular arch is formed by a plain grain resting on plain abutments and surrounded by an archivolt4 ,the archivolt is a prominent band adorned with saw-teeth in high relief carved with a hollow row of triangular sticks4 ,its two ends rest on a granite stone carved with a human head4 ,the keystone of the arch is adorned with a human head in higher relief4 ,the inside abutments are molded with a small column with a square abacus and base4 ,these abutments support a tympanum in granite1 which was restored and carved with a cross ,in ,romanesque style in #ahig4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ac ,illustration #jej4 ,yquelon4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque west gate4 ,this gate has similarities with the south gate in the church of ,brville1 located a few kilometers north-west4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jea4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque west gate4 ,detail of the semi-circular arch of the gate4 ,its archivolt rests at each end on a granite stone carved with a human head4 ,these granite heads resisted more gracefully to the test of time than the limestone heads in the church of ,brville4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jbi ,illustration #jeb4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque south gate4 ,his semi-circular arch is formed of a grain molded with a torus and topped by a chamfer carved with a row of slightly visible saw-teeth4 ,the arch is surrounded by an archivolt formed by a thick band with chamfered edges4 ,the lower chamfer is also adorned with a row of slightly visible saw-teeth4 ,the inner grain rests on two attached columns through capitals4 ,their basket1 topped by a square abacus1 is adorned with small angle hooks4 ,the door certainly underwent an overhaul3 both capitals1 without an astragalus1 are not well connected to the shaft of the columns and to the beginning of the arch1 the torus of which is cut4 ,the outer grain and archivolt disappear into the masonry of the nave to the left1 whereas they rest on a slightly prominent and chamfered large stone on the right4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ad ,illustration #jec4 ,yquelon4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque south gate4 ,this gate also has similarities with the south gate in the church of ,brville1 located a few kilometers north-west4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jed4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque choir 7inside74 ,the nave opens on the choir with a very thick triumphal arch resting on two piers embedded into the thick wall4 ,the two bays of the choir are separated by another very thick arch4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcj ,illustration #jee4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque choir 7inside74 ,each row is topped by a ribbed vault4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jca ,illustration #jef4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque vault of the choir4 ,the very large ribs are adorned with two thick angular tori surrounding a small triangular molding4 ,this ,romanesque ribbed vault was probably one of the first ribbed vaults in ,normandy4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcb ,illustration #jeg4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque vault of the choir4 ,the ceiling arches and ribs rest on reversed pyramid-shaped bases4 ,topped with a square abacus slightly chamfered1 the central base supports both the fallout of a ceiling arch and the one of two ribs4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcc ,illustration #jeh4 ,yquelon4 ,the ,romanesque vault of the choir4 ,the vault keystones are carved with geometric designs in low relief within a circle4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#af ,illustration #jei4 ,yquelon4 ,the enfeu and its tombstone4 ,in the north wall of the nave1 an enfeu 7recess for a tombstone7 with a lowered centering houses a #abth-century tombstone in soft limestone depicting a knight4 ,mr ,lomas described it in a journal named ,bulletin of the ,society of ,antiquaries in ,normandy 7,bulletin de la ,socit des ,antiquaires de ,normandie7 dated #ahhf-ahhg3 ,the tombstone bears a knight in relief1 depicted with his hands clasped1 his head resting on a pillow1 and his greyhound at his feet4 74447 ,it bears no indication of his name or no indication of a year4 ,it is therefore impossible to specify the person whose remains are covered4 ,what we can say with certainty is that this person belongs to the powerful family of ,yquelon1 whose family member ,roger ,yquelon affixed his signature on two main charters of the ,abbey of the ,lucerne in #aafb4 ,discovered in #ahhe in the cemetery adjoining the north of the church1 the tombstone was embedded in the enfeu in ,february #ahic4 ,at the length of the enfeu1 #b4ae meters1 is exactly the length of the tombstone1 we can guess the tombstone was probably buried in the cemetery at the time of the ,french ,revolution1 before being discovered in #ahhe and regaining its original location4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ag ,illustration #jfj4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,location4 ,the village of ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer is located on the coast1 #c4e kilometers south of ,granville4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer was a prosperous town and the vital center of the region until the construction of ,granville in the #aeth century4 ,many people moved to ,granville then1 at the expense of ,saint-,pair4 ,saint-,pair grew again in #ahhj with the development of seaside resorts4 ,medieval roads--a coast road and a shore road--were used by pilgrims from ,saint-,pair to ,mont ,saint-,michel1 and are still used today by modern pilgrims and visitors4 ,illustration #jfa4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the church is under ,st4 ,pair's patronage1 and the second saint is ,st4 ,gaud4 ,the church is a place of pilgrimage dedicated to the worship of ,st4 ,gaud1 whose sarcophagus was found in #aaca during the building of the ,romanesque church4 ,much later1 in #ahhj1 the ,romanesque nave was demolished to be replaced by a much larger nave and a transept to accommodate the many parishioners of this popular seaside resort4 ,the enlarged church was consecrated on ,august #bf1 #ahhh4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ah ,illustration #jfb4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the church is shown here from the north-east to get a view of the whole building4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#jg ,illustration #jfc4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the old ,romanesque church1 after a drawing from ,e4 ,biguet published in the journal ,le ,pays de ,granville dated #aicd4 ,the ,romanesque nave was demolished in #ahhj to be replaced by a much larger nave and a transept4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcd ,illustration #jfd4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the church plan before #ahhj1 as we can imagine it4 ,the total external length was #cg1e meters4 ,the external width of the nave was #aa1a meters 7this hasn't changed74 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jfe4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the plan of the present church4 ,regulary oriented from west to east1 the building has a two-row nave with a porch1 a large transept and a three-row choir with a semi-circular apse4 ,the external length of the whole building is #eg1a meters4 ,the external width of the nave is #aa1a meters4 ,the square tower rises at the crossing of the transept4 ,the transept arms are opened by two apses on their eastern side4 ,the choir opens north on two chapels1 one towards the apse and one towards the tower4 ,at the angle formed by the south transept arm and the choir1 a rectangular building houses the sacristy4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jff4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,we can accurately give a date to the tower foundations1 which is very seldom4 ,we know that they date from #aaca1 thanks to a contemporary manuscript mentioning the discovery of ,st4 ,gaud's sarcophagus in the choir during the digging of the foundations4 ,the same manuscript gives the name of the architect ,rogerius ,altomansiunculo--who supervised the works4 ,to know an architect's name is quite unusual too1 because most architects of the time were remaining anonymous4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ai ,illustration #jfg4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the ,romanesque tower is square1 and its two floors are topped by an octogonal spire4 ,a group of two blind arches adorn the first floor1 at the north and south4 ,large twin bays adorn the second floor on all four sides4 ,divided by a small column with a square abacus and a square base1 these twin bays are topped by a semi-circular arch molded with a simple torus and resting on attached columns4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jce ,illustration #jfh4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the two floors of the tower4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bj ,illustration #jfi4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,inside1 the tower rests on four massive symmetrical piers supporting four slightly triangular arches4 ,these arches surround the groin vault beneath the tower4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcf ,illustration #jgj4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,sketch of the south-western pier of the tower4 ,this pier is as follows3 east1 west and south1 it is salient4 ,north1 an attached pier surrounded by two attached columns rests on a stoneboard4 ,molded as a champered band1 the impost topping the pier forms the abacus of the capitals of the two columns4 ,the capital baskets are carved1 with a square base topped by a chamfer4 ,the pier rests on a broader square base with chamfered edges4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jga4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,detail of the north pier of the tower4 ,resting on a stoneboard1 an attached pier surrounded by two attached columns is topped by an impost molded as a chamfered band4 ,the impost also forms the abacus of the capitals4 ,the capital baskets1 in granite1 are carved with angle hooks4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jcg ,illustration #jgb4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,a carved capital basket4 ,under the tower1 a capital of the north-west pier has a granite basket roughly carved in low relief with the bust of a man whose head is big4 ,his right arm is raised and his left arm is folded over his chest4 ,an oak branch is visible on the right4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jch ,illustration #jgc4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,a carved capital basket4 ,under the tower1 another granite basket is carved with an angle hook in low relief4 ,the capital baskets of the north-west1 north-east and south-east piers are all adorned with angle hooks of this kind4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jci ,illustration #jgd4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,st4 ,pair's sarcophagus4 ,a stone altar dating from the #aith century covers the shell limestone sarcophagus of ,st4 ,pair4 ,st4 ,pair 7#dhb-efe7 founded a chapel with ,st4 ,scubilion1 the foundations of which are still present underneath the choir of the present church4 ,st4 ,pair also gave his name to the village previously known under the ,roman name ,scessiacus1 or ,scissy4 ,st4 ,pair and ,st4 ,scubilion's sarcophagi were found in #ahge1 during the excavations made by abbot ,f4 ,baudry4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdj ,illustration #jge4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the plan of the oratory sketched by abbot ,f4 ,baudry4 ,in ,september #ahge1 during excavations in the church choir1 abbot ,f4 ,baudry found part of the foundations of the #fth-century oratory and several shell limestone sarcophagi3 the sarcophagi of ,st4 ,pair and ,st4 ,scubilion and1 nearby1 those of ,st4 ,senier and ,st4 ,aroaste4 ,st4 ,gaud's sarcophagus was found in #aaca while digging the foundations of the ,romanesque tower4 ,this plan is included in the book of ,chanoine ,pigeon entitled ,vie des ,saints du ,diocse de ,coutances et d',avranches 7,life of the ,saints in the ,diocese of ,coutances and ,avranches71 published in ,avranches in #ahhh4 ,illustration #jgf4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the foundations of the oratory4 ,on the floor of the second row of the present choir1 the double line of black tiles surrounded by a row of clear tiles shows the exact place of the foundations of the old oratory4 ,the underneath foundations form a semi-circular apse going on as side walls that disappear in the ,romanesque building4 ,fortunatus 7#ecj-fjj71 bishop of ,poitiers1 wrote in his ,vie de ,saint ,pair 7,st4 ,pair's ,life7 that the cells of the early monks were built beside the sea4 ,then monks move their dwellings on the banks of the river ,saigue1 at the site of the present church1 attracting a population that settled around the oratory4 ,in the foreground1 a white gravestone shows the spot where ,st4 ,pair's sarcophagus was buried and discovered4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdb ,illustration #jgg4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,st4 ,gaud's reliquary1 on the altar covering his shell limestone sarcophagus4 ,st4 ,gaud 7#djj-dia7 has its own chapel1 built in the #aith century in the north wall of the choir1 the church being a place of pilgrimage dedicated to his worship4 ,after fourty years as the second bishop of ,evreux1 ,st4 ,gaud resigned from office to come and retire in the solitude of ,saint-,pair4 ,st4 ,gaud's sarcophagus was found in #aaca while digging the foundations of the ,romanesque tower4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jda ,illustration #jgh4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,st4 ,gaud's reliquary4 ,in this photo dated #bjji1 the reliquary is adorned with both ex-votos and flowers4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ba ,illustration #jgi4 ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,the baptismal font4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bd ,illustration #jhj4 ,angey4 ,location4 ,the village of ,angey is located #b1e kilometers west of the village of ,sartilly4 ,the parish of ,angey has been part of the parish of ,sartilly since #aiad4 ,the church of ,angey is used only very occasionally for weddings and funerals4 ,illustration #jha4 ,angey4 ,the church and its cemetery4 ,the church is under ,st4 ,samson's patronage1 and the second saint is ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,the parish of ,angey belonged to the deanery of ,gents and the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,in #aafb1 the church of ,angey and its dependencies were given to the ,abbey of the ,lucerne by ,william of ,st4 ,jean4 ,the abbot of the ,lucerne was the lord of the church from then on4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#ab ,illustration #jhb4 ,angey4 ,the church1 with its ,romanesque choir4 ,the base of the tower may also be ,romanesque1 but from a later period1 because its masonry is slightly different from the masonry of the choir4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#be ,illustration #jhc4 ,angey4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building is formed by a long nave and a one-row choir4 ,the whole building has an external length of #bf1he meters and an external width of #g1e meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower rises between choir and nave4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jhd4 ,angey4 ,the choir with a flat apse1 and the tower rising between choir and nave4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bf ,illustration #jhe4 ,angey4 ,the baptismal font1 probably from the #adth century1 is adorned with carved trefoil arches in low relief4 ,the base of the font is carved with a rope1 probably a symbol of the religious community4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bg ,illustration #jhf4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,location4 ,the village of ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas is located on the coast1 #ab kilometers south of ,granville and #i kilometers north of ,avranches4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas was situated on two medieval roads1 the first one coming from ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer and the second one coming from ,coutances4 ,another shore road going from ,saint-,pair to ,mont ,saint-,michel was crossing the dunes nearby4 ,illustration #jhg4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the church is under ,st4 ,john the ,baptist's patronage4 ,the parish of ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas belonged to the deanery of ,gents and the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,in #iag1 ,william ,longsword1 second duke of ,normandy1 gave to the ,abbey of ,mont ,saint-,michel the village of ,saint-,jean-at-the-end-of-the-sea with its church1 mill1 vineyards and meadows4 ,in the #abth century1 the duke ,robert ,i gave again to ,mont ,saint-,michel the seigneury of ,saint-,jean and its dependencies4 ,in #aafb1 the local lord1 ,william of ,st4 ,john1 second founder of the ,abbey of the ,lucerne1 gave to the abbey the church of ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas with its dependencies1 including many properties around and in ,england4 ,in the #aeth century1 the church was still owned by the ,abbey of the ,lucerne1 the abbot of the ,lucerne being the lord of the church4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bh ,illustration #jhh4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the church4 ,its ,romanesque nave is from the #aath century and early #abth century4 ,the pre-,romanesque flat apse choir is probably from the #ajth century4 ,the ,romanesque gate opened in the south wall of the nave has a large porch from the #aeth century4 ,the massive square tower is along the south wall of the nave1 with two floors topped by a balustrade with an openwork design4 ,the tower was built in #ahie to replace a timeworn tower1 with granite stones from the ,saint-,james quarries4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdc ,illustration #jhi4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building is formed by a long nave and a flat apse choir4 ,the whole building has an external length of #ca4b meters and an external width of #h4a meters 7width of the front74 ,the church gate is opened in the south wall of the nave1 with a porch4 ,built along the nave1 the tower rises south4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #jij4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the church front and the tower4 ,the wall of the church front is topped with a small glacis covered with schist plates1 behind which rises the gable wall4 ,in the middle of the front1 a flat buttress ends with a glacis at the base of the gable wall4 ,the two small ,romanesque bays on both sides of the buttress were reopened in #aigc1 during the restoration of the church choir4 ,the massive tower was rebuilt in #ahie4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdd ,illustration #jia4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir and its south wall4 ,the choir has similarities with the church ,notre-,dame-sous-,terre1 present in the innards of ,mont ,saint-,michel and built by the ,benedictines shortly after settling down on the ,mont in #iff4 ,in both buildings1 the bay centerings are made of brick quoins1 and walls are made of fairly regular small blocks of granite joined with a thick mortar4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jde ,illustration #jib4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir4 ,on the left of the large central bay1 a small ,romanesque bay is clearly visible1 with its centering and abutements in granite4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon ,claude-#ca ,illustration #jic4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir and its north wall4 ,high in the wall1 the centerings of the pre-,romanesque bays are made of brick quoins4 ,the large semi-circular bay with a trefoil arch was pierced in #ahie1 when the tower was rebuilt4 ,the pre-,romanesque bays were discovered and reopened during the restoration of the choir in #aife by ,yves-,marie ,froidevaux1 a chief architect at the 7,french7 ,historic ,monuments4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdf ,illustration #jid4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir and its north wall4 ,the masonry is made of fairly regular small blocks of granite joined with a thick mortar4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdg ,illustration #jie4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir4 ,the centering of this small pre-,romanesque bay is made with brick quoins4 ,the same bays are present in the church ,notre-,dame-sous-,terre1 built around the same time in the innards of ,mont ,saint-,michel4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cj ,illustration #jif4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir 7inside7 and its north wall4 ,the fairly regular granite blocks of the walls and the brick quoins of the bays are also visible inside1 following the restoration of the choir in #aife by ,yves-,marie ,froideveaux1 a chief architect at the 7,french7 ,historic ,monuments4 ,the five bays with centerings in brick quoins--three north and two south--were found and reopened at that time4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdh ,illustration #jig4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir 7inside74 ,the two large semi-circular bays on each side of the choir were added in #ahie1 during the construction of the new tower4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jdi ,illustration #jih4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the pre-,romanesque choir 7inside74 ,the wooden barrel vault was added in #aife and completed in #aigc4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jej ,illustration #jii4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque nave 7inside74 ,this nave is probably from the #aath century and early #abth century4 ,in the front wall in the background1 the two ,romanesque bays were reopened in #aigc after being found under the plaster4 ,the upper bay--a median bay situated in the gable wall--was walled up at the same time1 but its granite abutments remain clearly visible4 ,the barrel vault of the nave is in plaster4 ,the floor is covered with large pavings ,in granite4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jea ,illustration #ajj4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque nave 7inside74 ,another view of the nave1 this time towards the choir4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cb ,illustration #aja4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque nave 7inside74 ,romanesque murals were found on the south wall of the nave1 a very interesting discovery because murals are almost non-existent in the region4 ,the existence of such ancient wall paintings1 probably from the #abth century1 was unknown until #aigd1 until the plaster of the walls of the nave was redone4 ,colour spots attracted the attention of abbot ,pore1 pastor of the church1 who then requested the visit of the fresco specialists of the 7,french7 ,fine ,arts ,department4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jeb ,illustration #ajb4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,in this part restored in ,december #aigd1 there are three paintings3 the struggle of a man against an angel1 on the tympanum of the walled-up gate1 then a fight between two figures1 and finally a country scene4 ,these paintings are surrounded by decorative borders4 ,these murals may be the work of pilgrims going to ,mont ,saint-,michel on the medieval road along the coast4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jec ,illustration #ajc4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 on the south wall of the nave4 ,on the tympanum of the walled-up gate1 the battle of a man against an angel1 a fight that could be the one of ,jacob against the angel sent by ,god1 or ,god himself showed in a visible form1 according to abbot ,pore1 pastor of the church at the time of the discovery of the murals in #aigd4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jed ,illustration #ajd4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals4 ,the same scene on the tympanum of the walled-up gate1 taken with a different angle to show the two foliage borders4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cc ,illustration #aje4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals4 ,the same tympanum of the walled-up gate1 seen from the outside4 ,above the gate1 a small ,romanesque bay with its centering and abutements in granite4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bi ,illustration #ajf4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,in this country scene1 with wheat ears visible on the left1 a figure wearing a large cloak holds a flask and pours wine in a cup held by another figure4 ,on the right1 a third figure holding a tillage tool is partly erased4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jee ,illustration #ajg4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,the third painting1 of which much has disappeared1 is the struggle between a figure with a cloack whose head is surrounded with a halo and another armored figure who seems to be on the ground4 ,this could be ,st4 ,michael's struggle against the ,devil1 according to abbot ,pore1 pastor of the church at the time of the discovery of the murals in #aigd4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jef ,illustration #ajh4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,situated between the country scene and the fight scene1 this detail shows that the mural was painted directly on the lime plaster1 which explains the clear background4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jeg ,illustration #aji4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,this partial view of the fight scene shows that all contours were drawn in ocher paint1 and inside surfaces were painted in ocher and buff4 ,only these two colors were used1 directly on the lime plaster4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jeh ,illustration #aaj4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque murals1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,the paintings are surrounded with a foliage border4 ,the flourishes run between two horizontal stripes4 ,the first stripe is ocher along the flourishes and the second stripe is buff along the ocher stripe1 with a row of white dots at the junction of the two colours4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jei ,illustration #aaa4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque gate and its porch1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,like often in the region1 a porch was built later on--this one is from the #aeth century--to offer to pilgrims and parishioners two stone benches and a shelter from rain and western winds coming from the sea4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ed ,illustration #aab4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,romanesque gate1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,the semi-circular arch of the gate is formed of a grain adorned with a simple torus molding4 ,the arch rests on two attached columns that seem an extension of the torus1 with the same diameter4 ,the columns are topped with capitals with a square abacus4 ,the capital baskets are carved with barely visible small angle hooks4 ,the square base is topped by a double torus4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ee ,illustration #aac4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque gate1 in the south wall of the nave4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #aad4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the porch4 ,the stone roof of this #aeth century porch is made of irregular schiste plates joined with a thick mortar4 ,the arch of the ,romanesque portal is adorned with a torus4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfj ,illustration #aae4 ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,the ,virgin and ,child4 ,situated under the #aeth century porch1 at the south of the nave1 this stone statue stands above the ,romanesque gate4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfa ,illustration #aaf4 ,dragey4 ,location4 ,the village of ,dragey is located on the current coastal road going from ,granville to ,avranches1 #bj kilometers south of ,granville and #ac kilometers north of ,avranches4 ,dragey was on the route of three medieval roads1 the first one coming from ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer1 the second one coming from ,coutances and the third one coming from ,saint-,l4 ,the shore road coming from ,saint-,pair was crossing the dunes of ,dragey before reaching ,mont ,saint-,michel1 the final destination for many pilgrims4 ,illustration #aag4 ,dragey4 ,panorama4 ,on the hill where the church stands1 the silhouette of ,mont ,saint-,michel and ,tombelaine emerge from the mist4 ,for pilgrims1 this view was announcing the end of a long quest4 ,the church of ,dragey was given to ,mont ,saint-,michel in the #aath century by ,robert1 duke of ,normandy4 ,dragey and his church were among the dependencies of ,saint-,jean-at-the-end-of-the-sea1 that later became ,saint-,jean-le-,thomas4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cd ,illustration #aah4 ,dragey4 ,the church1 built on a hill1 is isolated with its rectory at about one kilometer from the village4 ,the church is placed under ,st4 ,medard's patronage1 and the second saint is ,st4 ,eloi4 ,the parish of ,dragey belonged to the deanery of ,gents and the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,the ,romanesque nave is from the #aath or #abth century1 whereas the tower and choir are from the #acth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfb ,illustration #aai4 ,dragey4 ,the church is not situated in the village1 unlike the other churches in the region4 ,visible from far out at sea1 the tower was a landmark for seamen4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfc ,illustration #abj4 ,dragey4 ,the church has a one-row choir and a three-row nave4 ,the tower rises between choir and nave4 ,only the nave is ,romanesque4 ,the choir and the tower1 more recent1 are from the #acth century4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ce ,illustration #aba4 ,dragey4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the rectangular building is formed by a three-row nave and a one-row choir4 ,this whole building has an external length of #dj1h meters and an external width of #i1a meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower rises between choir and nave4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #abb4 ,dragey4 ,the church front4 ,its masonry is made of irregular blocks of schist and granite1 which are local stones4 ,the front is strengthened on each side by two thick buttresses that end with a glacis4 ,the large twin bay with a slightly triangular arch is from the #acth century4 ,in #ahfj1 this bay was reopened and restored1 and the original gate was replaced by a gate without much character4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfd ,illustration #abc4 ,dragey4 ,the south wall of the nave4 ,the #afth century porch before the ,romanesque gate was reopened en #aifi4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfe ,illustration #abd4 ,dragey4 ,the tower base has a gate with a triangular arch from the #acth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jff ,illustration #abe4 ,dragey4 ,the north wall of the nave 7inside74 ,the inner plaster of the side walls was scraped by the villagers to show the opus spicatum 7fishbone masonry71 at the request of abbot ,pierre ,danguy1 pastor of the church between #aied and #aigd4 ,the opus spicatum--with lines of schist plates arranged horizontally--attests the church was built in the #aath century and early #abth century4 ,the long bay with a deep splay is from the #acth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfg ,illustration #abf4 ,dragey4 ,the north wall of the nave 7inside74 ,villagers patiently scraped the plaster to show the opus spicatum 7fishbone masonry71 a sign their church was early ,romanesque4 ,the inner plaster now only covers the last top quarter of the walls1 probably too hard to reach4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cg ,illustration #abg4 ,dragey4 ,the north wall of the nave 7inside74 ,the large trefoil bay is from the #acth century4 ,a walled-up ,romanesque bay with a deep splay is on the right1 with an arch formed by a row of small granite quoins4 ,this ,romanesque bay is the only remaining original bay in the church4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfh ,illustration #abh4 ,dragey4 ,the north wall of the nave 7inside74 ,as the only remaining original bay1 this walled-up ,romanesque bay has a deep splay1 with an arch formed by a row of small granite quoins4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#cf ,illustration #abi4 ,dragey4 ,the church choir4 ,the bays of the choir we guess on each side were enlarged in the #aeth century4 ,the choir was previously quite dark1 with a feeble light coming from two small ,romanesque bays4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jfi ,illustration #acj4 ,dragey4 ,the old baptismal font supports a holy water font4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ch ,illustration #aca4 ,dragey4 ,the stained glass window of one large twin bay in the south wall of the nave4 ,this window is an ex-voto recounting one of the many drownings occurring in the region4 ,on #e ,may #aiba1 ,harry ,iselin1 the son of a family of landowners near ,dragey1 drowned with an ,american friend1 back from walking back from ,mont ,saint-,michel while crossing its dangerous shores4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ci ,illustration #acb4 ,dragey4 ,detail of the stained glass window4 ,on the top1 the ,mont ,saint-,michel1 and below1 a partial view of archangel ,st4 ,michael4 ,this large twin bay with a trefoil arch replaced in #ahfj a rectangular opening1 that replaced itself a small ,romanesque bay in #agij4 ,this was also the case for the other twin bays4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgj ,illustration #acc4 ,gents4 ,location4 ,the village of ,gents is located on the current coastal road between ,granville and ,avranches1 #f kilometers north of ,avranches4 ,the village is facing ,mont ,saint-,michel1 around #d kilometers far away4 ,the medieval roads used by pilgrims to go to ,mont ,saint-,michel started from ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer1 ,coutances1 ,saint-,l and ,caen to reach ,gents4 ,then they needed to cross dangerous shores to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel1 their final destination4 ,in addition1 the shore road between ,saint-,pair and ,mont ,saint-,michel was crossing ,bec d',andaine1 near ,gents4 ,illustration #acd4 ,gents4 ,the village and its church4 ,the church tower--with its saddleback roof1 its balustrade and its gargoyles--emerges above the roofs of the village4 ,gents is a very old place4 ,it was the tidal port of ,avranches1 the capital of the region before its looting by the ,norman pirates in the #ith century4 ,the barony of ,gents was given in #ajbb to the ,abbey of ,mont ,saint-,michel by ,richard ,,ii1 duke of ,normandy1 as well as the baronies of ,saint-,pair and ,ardevon4 ,the center of a barony and a deanery1 ,gents became an active town under the early ,norman dukes4 ,in the early #adth century1 there were nearly #c1jjj inhabitants1 and the church counted seven chapels and a full clergy4 ,this was the most flourishing period4 ,during the ,hundred ,years ,war1 ,gents was looted1 fleeced and burned by the ,british troops from #acef on4 ,during the ,religion ,wars between ,catholics and ,protestants1 ,gents was again sacked in #aefb by the troops of the ,protestant ,montgomery4 ,during the ,french ,revolution1 ,gents lost its juridiction of a seneschal1 its sergentery1 its deanery1 its fairs and its markets1 and went from being a town to being a village4 ,the county town became ,sartilly4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhc ,illustration #ace4 ,gents4 ,the church1 beautifully made1 is the work of ,robert ,torigni1 abbot of ,mont ,saint-,michel between #aaed and #aahf1 who built it on the site of an older timeworn church4 ,the ,romanesque church was consecrated in #aaeg by ,herbert1 bishop of ,avranches1 along with ,roger1 abbot of ,bec-,hellouin4 ,the church and cemetery of ,gents were granted the title of 7,french7 ,historic ,monument in #aiei4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#dj ,illustration #acf4 ,gents4 ,the church is composed of a broad nave1 a transept and a three-row choir with a flat apse4 ,a massive tower topped by a saddleback roof rises at the transept crossing4 ,the ,romanesque parts are the transept crossings1 part of the transept arms and two-thirds of the tower4 ,the porch before the south gate in the nave is from the #afth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jga ,illustration #acg4 ,gents4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the building is formed by a wide nave1 a transept and a three-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #ec4g meters4 ,the external width of the nave is #aj4h meters 7width of the front74 ,the first row of the choir opens north and south on two flat apse chapels1 that open themselves on the transept arms4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #ach4 ,gents4 ,the north wall4 ,the tower is ,romanesque for two-thirds of its height4 ,its upper part was built in the early #afth century4 ,the nave was completely rebuilt in the mid-#ahth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgb ,illustration #aci4 ,gents4 ,the ,romanesque transept1 with its north part and its gable wall4 ,the masonry is made from irregular blocks of schist and granite4 ,the schist is the local stone4 ,the granite probably came from the granite ground of ,avranches a few miles south-east4 ,the gable wall is opened by a large semi-circular bay4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgc ,illustration #adj4 ,gents4 ,the tower is situated at the transept crossing1 with two floors4 ,it is ,romanesque to two-thirds of his height1 with blocks of granite of medium size1 while the top is from the early #afth century1 with much larger blocks of granite4 ,the lower floor is blind4 ,the upper floor is open to the north1 south and west by walled-up ,romanesque twin bays1 that were extended by ,gothic trefoil bays added in the early #afth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgd ,illustration #ada4 ,gents4 ,the tower is topped by a saddleback roof1 the base of which is hidden north and south by a balustrade with an openwork design4 ,its corners are adorned with ,gothic gargoyles shaped as dogs1 wolves and imaginary animals4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jge ,illustration #adb4 ,gents4 ,a ,gothic gargoyle at another angle of the balustrade hiding the base of the saddleback roof of the tower4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#da ,illustration #adc4 ,gents4 ,a ,gothic gargoyle at another angle of the balustrade hiding the base of the saddleback roof of the tower4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgf ,illustration #add4 ,gents4 ,the gate in the south transept4 ,this heavy and simple gate is from #aath century1 with semi-circular plain grains and thick columns4 ,it probably belonged to the building that was prior to the ,romanesque church consecrated in #aaeg4 ,the semi-circular arch is formed of two thick non-molded grains4 ,the external grain rests on two thick attached columns topped by a square chamfered abacus1 which goes on as a chamfered band on the wall4 ,the capital basket is carved with barely visible angle hooks4 ,the outside ground level is now at the same level as the start of the column trunk4 ,the square base is topped by a double torus is below ground level4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgg ,illustration #ade4 ,gents4 ,sketch of the gate in the south transept4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #adf4 ,gents4 ,the ,romanesque transept crossing is bounded by four strong square piers4 ,the two west piers are attached to the transept and the nave4 ,they receive four thick triangular arches that surround the groin vault above the transept crossing4 ,the first row of the choir opens north and south on two flat apse chapels1 that open themselves on the transept arms4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgh ,illustration #adg4 ,gents4 ,the ,romanesque transept crossing4 ,the piers support four thick slightly triangular arches that surround the groin vault above the transept crossing4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jgi ,illustration #adh4 ,gents4 ,the ,romanesque transept crossing4 ,the four piers are perfectly symmetrical1 with two flat non-molded sides and two other sides with two attached twin columns on a backwall1 that support the triangular arches4 ,on one angle of each pillar1 an attached column supports the spring of one arris of the vault4 ,each pillar is topped by a large impost molded with a chamfered band4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#df ,illustration #adi4 ,gents4 ,the ,romanesque transept crossing4 ,one of the tower piers4 ,two sides have a flat non-molded surface4 ,on the other two sides1 the arches are received by two attached twin columns on a backwall4 ,in one corner1 an attached column receives the spring of one arris of the vault4 ,the carved basket capitals are topped by a thick square abacus4 ,the square bases are topped by a double torus4 ,the pier itself rests on a broader square base4 ,the other three pillars are perfectly symmetrical to this one4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#de ,illustration #aej4 ,gents4 ,sketch of the south-east pier in the transept crossing4 ,this pier is topped by an impost molded with a chamfered band4 ,east and south1 the pier has a flat non-molded surface4 ,north and west1 the arches are received by two attached twin columns on a backwall4 ,at the north-west angle1 an attached column receives the spring of one arris of the vault4 ,the carved capital baskets are topped by a thick square abacus4 ,the pier itself rests on a broader square base4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #aea4 ,gents4 ,detail of the north-west pier in the transept crossing4 ,the capital baskets1 carved in low relief1 are adorned with plant designs such as chestnut leaves1 oak leaves with acorns1 and vine leaves4 ,other baskets are carved with grapes1 animal designs--such as hares running around--or geometric designs--such as small arches and prominent bands4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhj ,illustration #aeb4 ,gents4 ,the porch4 ,this large porch1 from the #afth century1 stands before the south gate of the nave1 which is from the #acth century4 ,the porch has offered pilgrims and parishioners two stone benches and a shelter from rain and western winds coming from the sea4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#dd ,illustration #aec4 ,gents4 ,the porch from the #afth century is topped by a wooden frame added in the #ahth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhb ,illustration #aed4 ,gents4 ,the porch4 ,detail of the wooden frame added in the #ahth century4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#db ,illustration #aee4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,location4 ,the village of ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains is located at the very end of the cape of ,grouin du ,sud1 #b4e kilometers from the village of ,vains and #g kilometers from the town of ,avranches4 ,the priory church stands in front of the bay of ,mont ,saint-,michel and the rock of ,tombelaine4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains was the final village of the medieval road coming from ,caen4 ,then the pilgrims needed to cross the dangerous shores to reach ,mont ,saint-,michel1 their final destination4 ,the priory church has become a private property since the ,french ,revolution1 and the village is now part of the parish of ,vains4 ,illustration #aef4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,winter panorama4 ,the village and its priory church under the snow1 at the end of the winter4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhd ,illustration #aeg4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,winter panorama4 ,the village and its priory church1 seen a little closer1 at the end of the winter4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhe ,illustration #aeh4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,spring panorama taken from inside the priory4 ,from there1 the ,mont ,saint-,michel seems to open itself to pilgrims and travellers4 ,saint-,lonard is a very old village4 ,st4 ,leonard lived there in the #fth century before being elected the eighth bishop of ,avranches in #egh4 ,the village was then invaded by the ,normans in the #ith century4 ,after the ,norman conquest1 the village was part of the duke of ,normandy's territory1 and the fief of the lords of ,vains4 ,in #ajhg1 shortly before his death1 ,william the ,conqueror gave the priory to the ,abbey of ,saint-,etienne in ,caen4 ,in #aaeh1 ,henry ,,ii confirmed this donation1 which included a mansion1 arable lands and vineyards1 as well as salines with the right to fish and to collect kelp4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#dg ,illustration #aei4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,spring panorama taken from inside the priory4 ,the priory was a simple priory1 that is to say a small monastery where some religious men detached from a main abbey were living under the direction of a prior1 but without taking care of other souls 7unlike a pastor for his parishoniers74 ,the priory church was the property of the abbey of ,saint-,etienne in ,caen until the ,french ,revolution4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ej ,illustration #afj4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the priory was sold in #agic1 during the ,french ,revolution1 and the buyer turned the church into a farm building4 ,in an article from the periodical ,le ,pays de ,granville dated ,december #aigf1 ,jean ,bindet recounted that1 after the nationalization of the church properties in ,november #aghi and the sale of national properties from #agia on1 the priory and dovecote were left abandoned1 and their ruins1 with the church that had not suffered too much1 were sold in #agic for the sum of #bjj francs in banknotes 444 ,the buyer1 wanting its purchase to fructify1 decided to transform the church into a farm building4 ,the choir of the ancient church became a kitchen with a fireplace built in the apse2 the nave became a barn and a stable2 the tower itself was used3 the base as a cellar1 and the floor was divided into a room and an attic1 and topped with a chimney4 ,the priory remained a farm for a long time1 as evidenced by the cow behind the fence4 ,this old photo was digitized by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#dh ,illustration #afa4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the priory church is still a private property in the late #bjth century1 but no longer a farm4 ,in cooperation with the 7,french7 ,historic ,monuments1 the owner has turned the nave into a house by opening rectangular windows and revamping the interior4 ,in #aihe1 date of this photo1 the tower and the choir are still in bad shape4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhf ,illustration #afb4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the priory church4 ,the nave has become the owner's house in the late #bjth century1 which explains the rectangular doors and windows4 ,the building has retained its original form though1 with a nave strengthened by buttresses and a two-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the tower1 between choir and nave1 is topped by a saddleback roof4 ,in #aihe1 the tower and the choir have not been restored yet4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhg ,illustration #afc4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the priory church4 ,on this ,photo by the #aihjs1 we still see the stairs leading to the first floor of the tower 7they doesn't exist any more71 as well as the rectangular openings of the tower and the choir1 and the chimney above the choir4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#ai ,illustration #afd4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the priory church4 ,on this recent ,photo by #bjji1 the large rectangular openings pierced in the choir and the tower have been replaced by small bays of ,romanesque style4 ,the stairs leading to the first floor of the tower were removed1 like the chimney above the choir4 ,the building is back to its former beauty4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#di ,illustration #afe4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the plan of the priory church4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the building is formed of a nave and a two-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #cb4ge meters and an external width of #i4fe meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower rises between choir and nave4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #aff4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the ,romanesque tower is from the early #abth century4 ,situated in the extension of the choir1 its square base is topped by two floors in slight recess4 ,the first floor was probably blind originally1 with openings pierced after the ,french ,revolution4 ,the second floor is opened north1 east and south by two twin semi-circular arches4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhh ,illustration #afg4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the masonry is made of irregular blocks of schist and granite1 with a few rows of regular granite blocks4 ,the saddleback roof rests north and south on a cornice supported by modillions4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jhi ,illustration #afh4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,on three sides--north1 east and south--the second floor is adorned with two twin semi-circular arches1 with a double grain formed by two rows of granite quoins4 ,the arch rests on plain abutments through a square abacus1 that goes on as an horizontal band along the wall4 ,the cornice is supported by modillions carved with rough human heads or molded in quarter-round4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jij ,illustration #afi4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the second floor of the tower and its saddleback roof4 ,two birds are resting4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ea ,illustration #agj4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the base of the ,romanesque tower and its north wall4 ,this wall is strengthened by a central buttress surrounded by two semi-circular bays with an arch formed by a row of granite quoins4 ,the lowered arch and abutments of the door are made of large blocks of granite4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jia ,illustration #aga4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the base of the ,romanesque tower and its north wall4 ,the lower part of the wall consists of an opus spicatum 7fishbone masonry7 characterizing the #aath or early #abth century4 ,the masonry of the upper part of the wall is made of regular blocks of granite4 ,a row of badly damaged modillions is still visible above the bays4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jib ,illustration #agb4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the base of the ,romanesque tower1 and its gate with its semi-circular arch and abutments in granite4 ,the opus spicatum 7fishbone masonry7 of the masonry is a sign the church is early ,romanesque4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#eb ,illustration #agc4 ,saint-,lonard-de-,vains4 ,the base of the ,romanesque tower4 ,inside1 the tower rests on massive piers4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#ec ,illustration #agd4 ,saint-,loup4 ,location4 ,saint-,loup 7also called ,saint-,loup-sous-,avranches7 is located south-east of ,avranches1 only #f kilometers from the town1 in a hilly region close to the granite ground of ,avranches1 making granite stones easily accessible4 ,illustration #age4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the church is the only entirely ,romanesque building remaining in the region4 ,built by the lords of ,saint-,loup1 the church was under ,st4 ,loup's patronage4 ,the second saint is ,st4 ,gilles4 ,the parish belonged to the deanery of ,tirepied and the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,the nave has three rows4 ,the north and south walls are strenghtened by four buttresses on each side4 ,three small semi-circular bays are still visible1 two in the south wall and one in the north wall4 ,the other bays were opened or enlarged thereafter4 ,the church was granted the title of 7,french7 ,historic ,monument in #aiba4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jic ,illustration #agf4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the building is formed by a two-row nave and a three-row choir with a semi-circular apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #ca meters and an external width of #h4b meters 7width of the front74 ,the tower rises above the first row of the choir4 ,the north side chapel along the second row of the choir was added in #afjb by the lords of ,saint-,loup4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert and ,bernard ,beck4 ,illustration #agg4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque west front4 ,strenghtened by two buttresses1 the front wall is topped by a slight glacis behind which rises the gable wall4 ,the bay with a triangular arch above the ,romanesque gate is probably from the #acth century4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jid ,illustration #agh4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque west gate4 ,its semi-circular arch is formed of two grains surrounded by a archivolt1 which is a chamfered band4 ,each grain has the following moldings3 a thick angle torus1 a listel1 a shallow cavetto and a row of carved hollow saw-teeth4 ,the grains rest on four attached columns4 ,molded in quarter-round1 the capital abaci go on as an horizontal band along the wall4 ,the baskets are carved with rough sculptures3 angle hooks or angle heads whose features were erased with the test of time4 ,the square bases are adorned with a torus topping a chamfer carved with barely visible small claws4 ,they rest on a small stone wall going on along the whole length of the front4 ,the lintel is a big monolith block of granite1 and it is topped by an opus reticulatum 7diamond-shaped masonry7 of diamond-shaped stones4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jie ,illustration #agi4 ,saint-,loup4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque west gate4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #ahj4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the south wall of the choir4 ,in the first row1 the south gate is flanked by two flat buttresses4 ,between these buttresses1 above the gate1 the masonry is supported by a cornice with three large carved modillions4 ,the first modillion is a grotesque human being putting his right hand to his mouth while folding his left arm4 ,the second modillion is a human head4 ,the third modillion is a crouched human being1 with his hands on his knees4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jig ,illustration #aha4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower rises above the first row of the choir4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jif ,illustration #ahb4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the masonry of its walls is made of regular granite blocks1 that are smaller than for other parts of the church4 ,the granite was extracted from the granite ground of ,avranches1 that is close to ,saint-,loup4 ,in the foreground1 on the right1 this buttress belongs to the north side chapel adjacent to the second row of the choir4 ,this chapel was added in #afjb by the lords of ,saint-,loup4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jih ,illustration #ahc4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,this square tower consists of two floors topped by a spire4 ,the first floor is ornated north and south with large blind arcades4 ,the second floor is opened by a bay on each side4 ,the level between the two floors is underlined by a chamfered band4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#jii ,illustration #ahd4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the upper floor is opened by a bay on each side4 ,this bay is surrounded by a semi-circular arch formed by two grains surrounded by a chamfered band4 ,each grain is molded with a thick angle torus followed by a listel and a broad shallow cavetto4 ,on both sides of the bay1 the grains rest on four small attached columns4 ,the basket capitals are carved with geometric designs--angle hooks1 half-circles--or human heads4 ,these baskets are topped with a square abacus going on as a square horizontal band along the wall4 ,the square base of the small columns is topped by a double torus4 ,these bays are similar to the west and south gates1 with the same moldings for the grains and similar sculptures for the capital baskets4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#bb ,illustration #ahe4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the lower floor is adorned north and south by a double blind semi-circular arch toped by a prominent band going on as an horizontal band on the bare wall and then on the east and west sides4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajj ,illustration #ahf4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,on the lower floor1 a small opus reticulatum 7diamond-shaped blocks7 is present at the corner between the twin arches4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aja ,illustration #ahg4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the upper floor is opened by a similar bay on each side4 ,the semi-circular arch of the bays is formed of two grains surrounded by a chamfered band and resting on four small attached columns4 ,the capital baskets are carved with geometric designs such as angle hooks and half-circles1 while other baskets are carved with human heads4 ,these bays are similar to the west and south gates1 with the same moldings for the grains and similar sculptures for the capital baskets4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajb ,illustration #ahh4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,the cornice rests on modillions carved with human heads or molded in quarter-round4 ,most of the cornice was rebuilt during the rebuilding of the octagon spire on a square base1 with skylights4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajc ,illustration #ahi4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque tower4 ,detail of the cornice and its modillions carved with human heads4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajd ,illustration #aij4 ,saint-,loup4 ,the ,romanesque south gate1 in the first row of the choir4 ,the semi-circular arch is formed of an grain surrounded by an archivolt made of a chamfered band4 ,the grain is molded with a thick angle torus followed by a listel and a large shallow cavetto4 ,the grain rests on two attached columns4 ,the capital baskets carved with human heads are topped with abaci molded in quarter-round4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#ba ,illustration #aia4 ,saint-,loup4 ,sketch of the ,romanesque south gate1 in the first row of the choir4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #aib4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,location4 ,the village of ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme is located #e4e kilometers south-east of the town of ,avranches1 in the hills of the river ,slune4 ,saint-,quentin was situated on the medieval road taken by pilgrims from ,tinchebray1 ,cond-sur-,noireau1 ,falaise or ,lisieux to reach ,mont ,saint-,michael4 ,the parish of ,saint-,quentin was one of the nine parishes around the episcopal church of ,avranches1 grouped in the deanery of ,chrtient 7,christendom74 ,this deanery was part of the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,illustration #aic4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the large church has a rectangular narthex 7wide porch7 along the entire length of the front4 ,the base of the tower and the nave are ,romanesque--probably from the second half of the #abth century--and have similarities with the church of ,saint-,loup4 ,several parts are from the #acth century3 the narthex before the church front1 the two floors of the tower1 the three-row choir1 and finally the south side chapel of the choir4 ,the north side chapel was built later on1 in the #aeth or #afth century4 ,the walls of the nave still bear the mark of the large bays that were opened in the #ahth century to replace the small ,romanesque bays4 ,the present bays date from #aiea1 with a size similar to the original bays4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aje ,illustration #aid4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the church plan4 ,regularly oriented from west to east1 the building is formed of a three-row nave and a three-row choir with a flat apse4 ,the whole building has an external length of #dg meters and an external width of #i4f meters 7width of the front74 ,north and south1 two large chapels are adjacent to the first two rows of the choir4 ,they are so large that they look like transept arms4 ,the tower is between choir and nave4 ,the church front has a narthex 7wide porch7 on its entire length4 ,plan by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #aie4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the large tower1 between choir and nave1 rests on four thick piers that receive east and west two semi-circular arches with a double ring4 ,the row between choir and nave is topped by a groin vault with an oblong plan4 ,in the foreground1 the wooden barrel vault of the nave was rebuilt in #aibf and #aibg4 ,the nave pavings were laid in #aibi4 ,the church walls were covered with lime plaster in #aiec4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#bd ,illustration #aif4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the large tower has a ,romanesque base and two floors from the #acth century1 with a saddleback roof4 ,in the foreground rises a ,romanesque wayside cross4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajf ,illustration #aig4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,detail of the ,romanesque wayside cross situated near the church4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajg ,illustration #aih4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the church front is adorned on its entire length with a rectangular narthex 7wide porch7 from the #acth century1 topped by a balustrade with an openwork design4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#ajh ,illustration #aii4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the ,romanesque gate of the church front4 ,this gate is surrounded by a semi-circular two-groin arch and an archivolt4 ,the grains rest on four attached columns1 with square bases adorned with a torus topped by a chamfer4 ,the capitals baskets are carved with balls1 heads with a prominent chin1 and a human being on all fours4 ,these rough sculptures are in high relief4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aji ,illustration #bjj4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,the tower base and its ,romanesque gate4 ,this walled-up gate is similar to the south gate of the church of ,saint-,loup4 ,his semi-circular arch is formed by a grain surrounded by an archivolt with a chamfered band4 ,the grain is molded with a thick angle torus followed by a listel and a shallow cavetto4 ,the grain rests on two thick columns through a band modled in quarter-round forming the abacus of the capitals and going on along the bare wall4 ,the capital baskets are carved with a tree on the right and two human heads on the left4 ,the bases are square4 ,the left base is topped with a chamfer adorned with tiny triangular claws and a torus4 ,the right base is topped by a double torus4 ,the tympanum is formed by a large monolith block of granite resting on inside abutments through a band molded in quarter-round4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aaj ,illustration #bja4 ,saint-,quentin-sur-le-,homme4 ,sketch of the south gate1 that is walled-up at the base of the tower4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #bjb4 ,sartilly4 ,location4 ,the town of ,sartilly is located on the road between ,granville and ,avranches1 #ae kilometers south of ,granville and #aa kilometers north of ,avranches4 ,sartilly was on the medieval road going from ,saint-,l to ,mont ,saint-,michel1 the final destination for many pilgrims4 ,the parish of ,sartilly belonged to the deanery of ,gents and the archidiachon of ,avranches4 ,the church is under ,st4 ,pair's patronage4 ,illustration #bjc4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate was the west gate of the ,romanesque church1 and is now the south gate of the church that replaced it4 ,the ,romanesque church1 which was ready to collapse1 was demolished and replaced in #aheh by a much larger building of ,gothic inspiration4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#aj ,illustration #bjd4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the capital baskets are carved with various designs like oak leaves1 acanthus leaves1 scrolls framing an acanthus leaf at the corner1 or corner curls4 ,the sculptures1 carved in high relief in granite1 are much more elegant than in any other small church in the region4 ,the square base of the columns is topped by a double torus4 ,photo by ,marie ,lebert4 ,marie-#aa ,illustration #bje4 ,sartilly4 ,the old ,romanesque church1 demolished in #aheh1 in a drawing from the journal ,revue de l',avranchin dated #aibd-aibf4 ,this church was described in the ,minute ,book of the ,city ,council 7,registre des ,dlibrations du ,conseil ,municipal7 of ,sartilly of #ahcg-ahfd3 ,the church we should replace is an old building 74447 composed of3 #a7 a dark nave which is #ai meters and #fj centimeters long and #g meters wide1 with the lower part of its walls soaked with moisture and cracked in several places1 and not standing straight anymore1 particularly towards the end of the church2 #b7 a tower between the nave and the choir 744472 #c7 a choir which is #i meters long and #f meters wide 744474 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aah ,illustration #bjf4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate is in granite1 which is the local stone1 ,sartilly being located at the heart of the granite ground of ,vire4 ,this gate1 probably from the second half of the #abth century1 is the most beautiful ,romanesque gate in the region4 ,the moldings of the arch and archivolt are the result of meticulous work1 as well as the sculptures of the capital baskets1 with oak leaves1 acanthus leaves and scrolls4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aaa ,illustration #bjg4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,sketch of the arch1 the archivolt and a column4 ,this gate1 which was the west gate of the ,romanesque church1 is now the south gate of the church that replaced it4 ,sketch by ,marie ,lebert4 ,illustration #bjh4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the arch of the gate is formed of three grains3 a grain with a lower centering1 and two semi-circular grains surmounted by a archivolt4 ,the first grain is molded with a thick angle torus followed by a listel and a large cavetto adorned with large and slightly rounded bezants4 ,the second grain is molded with a thick angle torus4 ,the third grain is molded with two tori surrounding a listel4 ,the archivolt is a prominent cordon ornated with saw-teeth in high relief carved with a hollow row of triangular sticks4 ,it rests on both sides on two carved heads with well designed features4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aab ,illustration #bji4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the left columns4 ,on each side of the gate1 the three grains rest on three attached columns through an impost molded with a cavetto4 ,the square part of the impost is adorned with a small hollow molding4 ,the impost goes on above the external pier supporting the archivolt4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aac ,illustration #baj4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the left side of the archivolt4 ,the archivolt is formed by a band adorned with saw-teeth in high relief carved with a row of triangular sticks4 ,on either side of the arch1 it rests on a head carved in the granite4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aad ,illustration #baa4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the left side of the archivolt4 ,detail showing the same carved head1 in profile4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aae ,illustration #bab4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the right side of the archivolt4 ,detail showing the second carved head on which the archivolt rests4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aaf ,illustration #bac4 ,sartilly4 ,the ,romanesque gate4 ,the right side of the archivolt4 ,detail showing the same carved head1 closer4 ,photo by ,alain ,dermigny4 ,alain-#aag ,illustration #bad4 ,end of this album1 with a cap and its angel holding a shield1 in the church of ,saint-,pair-sur-,mer4 ,special thanks to ,alain ,dermigny and ,claude ,rayon for their beautiful pictures4 ,many thanks to ,bernard ,beck1 ,danile ,cercel1 ,georges ,cercel1 ,philippe ,dartiguenave1 ,al ,haines1 ,nicolas ,pewny1 ,martine ,valenti1 ,marie-,nolle ,vivier and ,russon ,wooldridge for their kind help over the years4 ,photo by ,claude ,rayon4 ,claude-#bb