Religious art of Middle Ages in Europe
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The Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes was a monastery of Augustinian canons in Soissons, France, southwest of the city center. Only ruins remain, of which the west facade remains one of the more outstanding examples of architecture in the town. It is a listed historic monument.
The abbey was founded on St. John's hill in 1076 by Hughes Le Blanc as a community of Augustinian canons.
Initially built in Romanesque style, the initial buildings were replaced at the end of the 12th century by those extant today. The west facade was begun in the 12th century, but not finished until the 16th. The refectory and cellar date from the 13th century, parts of the cloisters from the end of the 13th century, while other parts are from the 16th century, as is the abbot's lodging.
When the abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution the premises were put to use for military purposes, and an arsenal was added.
The site was acquired by the town of Soissons in the 1970s and the remaining buildings are now occupied by educational and heritage-related organizations.
Ollantaytambo is one of the most impressive Inca cities. It was at the same time a fortress, a religious centre, an astronomical observatory, and an agricultural centre which is laid out in a series of steps facing east on the flanks of a rocky spur.
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Explore #12
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Foro Romano - Roma - Italia / Roman Forum - Rome - Italy
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de/from: Wikipedia
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es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foro_Romano
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Foro Romano
El Foro Romano (en latín, Forum Romanum, aunque los romanos se referían a él comúnmente como Forum Magnum o simplemente Forum) era el foro de la ciudad de Roma, es decir, la zona central —semejante a las plazas centrales en las ciudades actuales— donde se encuentran las instituciones de gobierno, de mercado y religiosas. Al igual que hoy en día, era donde tenían lugar el comercio, los negocios, la prostitución, la religión y la administración de justicia. En él se situaba el hogar comunal.
Series de restos de pavimento muestran que sedimentos erosionados desde las colinas circundantes ya estaban elevando el nivel del foro en la primera época de la República. Originalmente había sido un terreno pantanoso, que fue drenado por los Tarquinios mediante la Cloaca Máxima. Su pavimento de travertino definitivo, que aún puede verse, data del reinado de César Augusto.
Actualmente es famoso por sus restos, que muestran elocuentemente el uso de los espacios urbanos durante el Imperio romano. El Foro Romano incluye los siguientes monumentos, edificios y demás ruinas antiguas importantes:
Templo de Cástor y Pólux
Templo de Rómulo
Templo de Saturno
Templo de Vesta
Casa de las Vestales
Templo de Venus y Roma
Templo de César
Basílica Emilia
Basílica Julia
Arco de Septimio Severo
Arco de Tito
Rostra (plural de rostrum), la tribuna desde donde los políticos daban sus discursos a los ciudadanos romanos.
Curia Julia, sede del Senado.
Basílica de Majencio y Constantino
Tabulario
Templo de Antonino y Faustina
Regia
Templo de Vespasiano y Tito
Templo de la Concordia
Templo de Jano
Un camino procesional, la Vía Sacra, cruza el Foro Romano conectándolo con el Coliseo. Al final del Imperio perdió su uso cotidiano quedando como lugar sagrado.
El último monumento construido en el Foro fue la Columna de Focas. Durante la Edad Media, aunque la memoria del Foro Romano persistió, los edificios fueron en su mayor parte enterrados bajo escombros y su localización, la zona entre el monte Capitolino y el Coliseo, fue designada Campo Vaccinio o ‘campo bovino’. El regreso del papa Urbano V desde Aviñón en 1367 despertó un creciente interés por los monumentos antiguos, en parte por su lección moral y en parte como cantera para construir nuevos edificios. Se extrajo gran cantidad de mármol para construcciones papales (en el Vaticano principalmente) y para cocer en hornos creados en el mismo foro para hacer cal. Miguel Ángel expresó en muchas ocasiones su oposición a la destrucción de los restos. Artistas de finales del siglo XV dibujaron las ruinas del Foro, los anticuarios copiaron inscripciones desde el siglo XVI y se comenzó una excavación profesional a finales del siglo XVIII. Un cardenal tomó medidas para drenarlo de nuevo y construyó el barrio Alessadrine sobre él. No obstante, la excavación de Carlo Fea, quien empezó a retirar los escombros del Arco de Septimio Severo en 1803, y los arqueólogos del régimen napoleónico marcaron el comienzo de la limpieza del Foro, que no fue totalmente excavado hasta principios del siglo XX.
En su estado actual, se muestran juntos restos de varios siglos, debido a la práctica romana de construir sobre ruinas más antiguas.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum
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The Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum (Italian: Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum.
For centuries the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history.Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million or more sightseers yearly.
Many of the oldest and most important structures of the ancient city were located on or near the Forum. The Roman Kingdom's earliest shrines and temples were located on the southeastern edge. These included the ancient former royal residence, the Regia (8th century BC), and the Temple of Vesta (7th century BC), as well as the surrounding complex of the Vestal Virgins, all of which were rebuilt after the rise of imperial Rome.
Other archaic shrines to the northwest, such as the Umbilicus Urbis and the Vulcanal (Shrine of Vulcan), developed into the Republic's formal Comitium (assembly area). This is where the Senate—as well as Republican government itself—began. The Senate House, government offices, tribunals, temples, memorials and statues gradually cluttered the area.
Over time the archaic Comitium was replaced by the larger adjacent Forum and the focus of judicial activity moved to the new Basilica Aemilia (179 BC). Some 130 years later, Julius Caesar built the Basilica Julia, along with the new Curia Julia, refocusing both the judicial offices and the Senate itself. This new Forum, in what proved to be its final form, then served as a revitalized city square where the people of Rome could gather for commercial, political, judicial and religious pursuits in ever greater numbers.
Eventually much economic and judicial business would transfer away from the Forum Romanum to the larger and more extravagant structures (Trajan's Forum and the Basilica Ulpia) to the north. The reign of Constantine the Great saw the construction of the last major expansion of the Forum complex—the Basilica of Maxentius (312 AD). This returned the political center to the Forum until the fall of the Western Roman Empire almost two centuries later.
On the outskirts of Florence (/ˈflɒrəns/ FLOR-əns; Italian: Firenze [fiˈrɛntse] ( listen)) which is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the Metropolitan City of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 382,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1,520,000 in the metropolitan area.
Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.
The Historic Centre of Florence attracts 13 millions of tourists each year, and Euromonitor International ranked the city as the world's 89th most visited in 2012, with 1.8 million visitors. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Florence is an important city in Italian fashion, being ranked in the top 51 fashion capitals of the world; furthermore, it is a major national economic centre, as well as a tourist and industrial hub. In 2008, the city had the 17th highest average income in Italy.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence
TOUCH
Touch the things that are kept on the table in front of you
Clock pen-stand an old letter
Idol of Buddha Bertolt Brecht and Che Guevara’s photos
Open the drawer and touch its old sadness
Touch a blank sheet of paper with the words’ fingers
Touch like a pebble the still water of a van Gogh painting
Starting life’s hullabaloo in it
Touch your forehead and hold it for a long while without feeling shame
To touch it isn’t necessary for someone to sit close
From very far it is possible to touch even
Like a bird from a distance who keeps her eggs protected
‘Please do not touch’ or ‘Touching is prohibited’ don’t believe in such phrases
These are long-running conspiracies
Religious-gurus holding flags wearing crowns and shawls
Bomb-throwers, war-raisers indulge in for keeping us apart
The more dirt the more waste they spit
Only by touch can they be cleansed
Touch you must even though it turns things topsy-turvy
Don’t touch the way gods priests bigots devotees disciples
Touch each others’ feet and heads
Rather touch the way the tall grass appears to caress the moon and stars
Go inward feel the moist spot touch
See if it still remains there or not in these ruthless times.
Mangalesh Dabral
© Translation: 2008, Sudeep Sen
Among the beautiful sacral sights we can undoubtedly include the Greek Catholic wooden Church of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God from 1770, which stands in the mountain village of Miroľa in the northeastern region of Slovakia.
It has a characteristic log structure and a three-part outer and inner division. The interior is decorated with iconostasis and altar. In the sanctuary, there is the icon of the archangel Michael and the icon of the Mother of God, Virgin Hodegetria with praise located. Liturgical objects are found in the anteroom that were revealed in the individual rebuildings of the temple. Especially the rare raincoat, probably from the 17th century, is worth noticing.
A special chapter is the rare books used in religious services in the Church-Slavic language. The temple has been repaired several times, most recently a complete reconstruction in 2005-2008 has been carried out. As well as with other wooden churches, even here stands a wooden entrance gate with a low shingled roof in front of the church.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, located on a hill overlooking Lyon, France, was built from 1872 to 1896 on the site of the former Roman Forum of Trajan.
To its left is the medieval Saint Thomas Chapel, built in 1180, and further left, the Museum of Religious Art.
#325 in Explore on Nov 23, 2025.
© 2025 Jacques de Selliers. All rights reserved.
For reproduction rights, see www.deselliers.info/en/copyright.htm.
Photo ref: j50_5806-pd4-Lyon
P:16:00, X0=2, 1hF=9.2h, 2hF=18h, 3hF=27h, 3.5hF=39h, 4hF=107h
#YBS25Urban
The religious sites in the Wadi Al-Kharrar area were gradually abandoned from the time of the Muslim conquest, in the middle of the 7th century. Pilgrims from Jerusalem no longer ventured across the Jordan River, so they commemorated the baptism of Jesus near Qasr Al-Yehud on the western bank.
This site is marked by the large medieval-era Greek Orthodox Monastery of St John the Baptist, built on Byzantine ruins and clearly visible from across the river.
Access to the area around Qasr Al-Yehud has also been difficult in modern times. From 1967 until 1994 it was also in a military zone and heavily mined. It was open only twice a year for pilgrims celebrating their feasts of the baptism of Christ, in January for the Orthodox and October for the Catholics. In 2011 it was opened to the public.
By the end of 2018, access to three of the seven monasteries in the area — Greek Orthodox, Ethiopian and Franciscan (Catholic) — had been cleared of mines.
While Qasr Al-Yehud was inaccessible, the long-established Kibbutz Kinneret began running a substitute site at Yardenit, near the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, with modern facilities and shady eucalyptus trees. It has been receiving more than half a million visitors a year, many receiving baptism or renewing their baptismal promises in the Jordan River.
***
The Muslim conquest put an end to Byzantine building activity on the east bank of the Jordan River, but several of the Byzantine structures remained in use during the Early Islamic period. With time worship took place just across the river on the western side at Qasr el-Yahud. After 670 AD the commemoration of the baptism site moved to the western side.
The mountain of Montserrat has had religious significance since pre-Christian times. A temple dedicated to the worship of Venus was built here by the Romans before Christ. The first documented mention of Montserrat in 888 reported the construction of an initial monastery around 880 AD. It was hermit monks who had built various hermitages on Montserrat. The monastery was then founded in 1025 through the expansion of the hermitage of Santa Maria.
The Black Madonna, found in the 12th century and still the destination of pilgrimages today, is attributed with miraculous deeds. These attributed miracles led to the strong growth of the monastery.
In the 16th century, during the transition between Gothic and Renaissance periods, the basilica of the monastery was built. The Black Madonna is preserved in the basilica.
Numerous famous personalities made pilgrimages to Montserrat: Pope Benedict XIII, Columbus, Cervantes, von Humboldt, King Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles I, Philip II, and Louis XIV.
(...) In 1811, the monastery was largely destroyed by Napoleonic troops. The Benedictine monastery was rebuilt.
During the Franco dictatorship, the monastery resisted. Catalan continued to be spoken there despite the ban, and masses were held in Catalan. Hundreds of Franco regime's persecuted were hidden here. 23 monks were executed as a result. This resistance makes the monastery today an important symbol of Catalan identity and the struggle against oppression.
www.barcelona.de/en/barcelona-excursions-monastery-montse...
A family sits together in colorful traditional Bhutanese attire during the Gangtey Festival in the Phobjikha Valley. Surrounded by prayer wheels, they share food, conversation, and moments of rest, while children enjoy cotton candy and playful company. The scene reflects the community spirit, and vibrant cultural heritage that define religious festivals.
www.flickr.com/photos/mborgare/albums/72177720329887942
Un gruppo famigliare è seduto insieme, indossando i vivaci abiti tradizionali bhutanesi durante il Festival di Gangtey nella valle di Phobjikha. Circondati dalle ruote di preghiera, giovani e anziani condividono cibo, conversazioni e momenti di riposo, mentre i bambini si godono lo zucchero filato. La scena riflette lo spirito comunitario e il ricco patrimonio culturale che caratterizzano i festival religiosi.
Two pilgrims on the banks of the Rhine, gazing at Cologne Cathedral—one of the most important landmarks of the Christian West.
Religious symbolism meets modern infrastructure, quiet contemplation meets lively urban space.
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Zwei Pilgerinnen am Ufer des Rheins, den Blick auf den Kölner Dom gerichtet – eines der bedeutendsten Wahrzeichen des christlichen Abendlandes.
Religiöse Symbolik trifft auf moderne Infrastruktur, stille Betrachtung auf lebendigen Stadtraum.
#FlickrPhotoChallenge #BlackAndWhite
Or, the separation of church and foyer. I found this 'ghost town' relic, along with a few other abandoned buildings, while seeking out old grain elevators in rural Saskatchewan. The foyer is separating from the main body of the church. Like most of the buildings in the former town, the church (and the elevators) was in very bad condition.
This a religious image, but the religious part is not what inspired this pic. I was drawn by the light and the drama and local church on Manhattan,'s Upper West Side. I should add that I am not a religious person and was not raised in the Christian religion. Nonetheless, I admire the great religious edifices of the world and can be found listening to Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Bach's b Minor Mass fairly often.
The Agioi Anargyri chapel at Cape Greco, just east of Ayia Napa, Cyprus, seems to be part of the landscape. Even its colour scheme reflects the off-white lime stone rocks and the deep blue sea. Below, there is a cave where, legend has it, saints lived as hermits a long time ago. Religion, the land, and the sea, as one coherent and inseparable whole. Not quite. This chapel dates to the late 20th century and reflects the tendency of the Cypriot Orthodox Church to claim territory and monopolise the narrative. But I do appreciate the beauty of the place and can understand why couples would wish to have this breathtaking venue for their wedding ceremony. Voigtlaender NC 1.4/35.
St. Nicholas Church at Curtea de Arges, Romania
Biserica Sf. Nicolae Domnesc (Curtea Domnească )
Curtea de Arges
1340-1376
www.monumenteromania.ro/index.php/monumente/detalii/en/Bi...
UNESCO World Heritage list submission:
whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/545/
other images of this church
www.flickr.com/photos/fusion_of_horizons/tags/bisericasfn...
Bexhill or Bexhill-on-Sea is a seaside town situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local-government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of archaeological sites, a Manor House in the Old Town, an abundance of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, and the famous De La Warr Pavilion: today a centre for contemporary art – which has featured the work of Andy Warhol, Cerith Wyn Evans and Richard Wilson amongst others – and an auditorium, where Bob Marley had his first UK appearance and has since seen performances by Elvis Costello, Goldfrapp, Ray Davies, Years & Years, Patti Smith and Laurie Anderson.
The first reference to Bexhill, or Bexelei as it was originally called, was in a charter granted by King Offa of Mercia in 772 AD. It is recorded that King Offa had 'defeated the men of Hastings' in 771 AD. At this time, the term Hastings would have referred to this whole area rather than the town itself as it does today. In the charter, King Offa established a church and religious community in Bexhill.
During the Norman Conquest of 1066 it appears that Bexhill was largely destroyed. The Domesday survey of 1086 records that the manor was worth £20 before the conquest, was 'waste' in 1066 and was worth £18 10s in 1086. King William I used the lands he had conquered to reward his knights and gave Bexhill manor to Robert, Count of Eu, with most of the Hastings area. Robert's grandson, John, Count of Eu, gave back the manor to the bishops of Chichester in 1148 and it is probable that the first manor house was built by the bishops at this time. The later manor house, the ruins of which can still be seen at the Manor Gardens in Bexhill Old Town, was built about 1250, probably on the instructions of St. Richard, Bishop of Chichester. St Richard's Catholic College, the local Catholic school, was duly for said bishop. The Manor House was the easternmost residence owned by the bishops and would have been used as a place to stay while travelling around or through the eastern part of their diocese. There were often disputes between the Bishops of Chichester and the Abbots of Battle Abbey, usually about land ownership in this area. In 1276 a large portion of Bexhill was made into a park for hunting and in 1447 Bishop Adam de Moleyns was given permission to fortify the Manor House.
In 1561 Queen Elizabeth I took possession of Bexhill Manor and three years later she gave it to Sir Thomas Sackville, Earl of Dorset. The Earls, later Dukes, of Dorset owned Bexhill until the mid 19th century. Their main residences were Buckhurst Place in Sussex and Knole House in Kent.
In 1804 soldiers of the King's German Legion were stationed in barracks at Bexhill. These troops were Hanoverians who had escaped when their country was overrun by Napoleon's French Army. As King George III was also the Elector of Hanover, he welcomed them and they fought as part of the British Army. At about this time, defensive Martello Towers were built along the south east coast, some near Bexhill, in order to repel any French invasion. In 1814 the soldiers of the King's German Legion left Bexhill, eventually playing an important part in the Battle of Waterloo the following year. The German troops had been here to protect Bexhill from the French. However, many of the local people were actively trading with the enemy by way of smuggling. The best known of the local smugglers were in the Little Common Gang and the most famous incident was the infamous Battle of Sidley Green in 1828.
In 1813 Elizabeth Sackville had married the 5th Earl De La Warr, and when the male line of the Dukes of Dorset died out in 1865 she and her husband inherited Bexhill.
It was the 7th Earl De La Warr who decided to transform the small rural village of Bexhill into an exclusive seaside resort. He contracted the builder, John Webb, to construct the first sea wall and to lay out De La Warr Parade. Webb, in part payment for his work, was given all the land extending from Sea Road to the Polegrove, south of the railway line. Opened in 1890, the luxurious Sackville Hotel was built for the 7th Earl De La Warr and originally included a house for the use of his family. In 1891 Viscount Cantelupe, his eldest surviving son, married Muriel Brassey, the daughter of Sir Thomas and the late Annie, Lady Brassey of Normanhurst Court near Bexhill. The Manor House was fully refurbished so that Lord and Lady Cantelupe could live in style as Lord and Lady of the Manor. Finally, the 7th Earl De La Warr transferred control of his Bexhill estate to Viscount Cantelupe. When the 7th Earl De La Warr died in 1896
Viscount Cantelupe became the 8th Earl De La Warr. At this time he organised the building on the sea front of the Kursaal, a pavilion for refined entertainment and relaxation. He also had a bicycle track made, with a cycle chalet, at the eastern end of De La Warr Parade. These amenities were provided to promote the new resort. Meanwhile, many independent schools were being attracted to the expanding town due to its health-giving reputation. The railway came through Bexhill in 1846, the first railway station being a small country halt situated roughly where Sainsbury's car park is today. This was some distance from the village on the hill. A new station, north of Devonshire Square, was opened in 1891 to serve the growing resort. In 1902 the current railway station was opened and a Bexhill West Station was built for the newly built Crowhurst Branch Line.
1902 was the year that Bexhill became an Incorporated Borough. This was the first Royal Charter granted by Edward VII. Bexhill was the last town in Sussex to be incorporated and it was the first time a Royal Charter was delivered by motorcar. To celebrate the town's newfound status and to promote the resort, the 8th Earl De La Warr organised the country's first ever motorcar races along De La Warr Parade in May 1902. The town was scandalised at this time by the divorce of Earl De La Warr.
Muriel had brought the action on the grounds of adultery and abandonment. She was granted a divorce and given custody of their three children. Muriel, with her children, Myra, Avice and Herbrand, went back to live with Earl Brassey at Normanhurst Court. The 8th Earl De La Warr remarried but was again divorced for adultery. He also suffered recurrent and well-publicised financial difficulties. At the start of the First World War in 1914 the Earl bought a Royal Naval commission. He died of fever at Messina in 1915.
Herbrand Edward Dundonald Brassey Sackville became the 9th Earl De La Warr. He is best known for championing the construction of the De La Warr Pavilion, which was built and opened in 1935. The 9th Earl also became Bexhill's first socialist mayor. He died in 1976.
The Second World War caused the evacuation of the schools and substantial bomb-damage to the town. Many schools returned to Bexhill after the war but there was a steady decline in the number of independent schools in the town. The break-up of the British Empire and in particular the Independence of India in 1947 hastened the process. Most of the schools were boarding and catered largely for the children of the armed forces overseas and of the colonial administration. Although the number of schools decreased, many of the parents and former pupils had fond memories of the town and later retired to Bexhill.
For further information please visit
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bexhill-on-Sea and www.discoverbexhill.com/
The Chancel at the far end of St John The Baptist church in Shepherds Bush looking resplendent picked out in bright gold.