The Loire Valley and especially Blois
I’ve actually overstepped the first anniversary of Blois Daily Photo which was 25th July. I can’t say I’ve never missed a day – in fact I’ve missed about ten – but it’s been a challenge finding a daily photo when I don’t live in Blois permanently and I try to respect the seasons. It started …
Continue reading “First anniversary: Royal Stripes – Premier anniversaire: Rayures royales”
You may remember the photo of the little church of Saint Martin de Crouy that I published recently. We took the same cycle itinerary again the other day and I recognised it immediately. This time, I took a close-up of the sculptured group on the façade depicting Saint Martin cutting his cloak in two to give to …
Continue reading “Saint Martin and the Sword – Saint Martin et l'épée”
Mullion windows (the ones at the top divided into four by a stone cross) appeared well before the 10th century and are typically seen in Renaissance buildings. I’ve just discovered that many French property owners destroyed their mullion windows after a new door and window tax was instigated in 1798 which was based on the number of …
To tell you the truth, I can’t remember where this was taken, but it was in a little village on a bike route. I think it must be the perfect place to work! A vrai dire, je ne me rappelle pas où j’ai pris cette photo ; c’était dans un petit village sur un itinéraire de …
A longère is a long farmhouse built on ground floor level. This one has the typical semi-arched windows you find in Sologne and is exceptionally long! Une longère est un bâtiment rural, de forme basse et allongée. Celle-ci a les fenêtres en demi-arceaux typiques de la Sologne. Elle est exceptionnellement longue.
Well, not exactly all the people, but we did see a number of murals. When it was built in the late 11th century, the Church of Saint Martin de Crouy originally included a nave, a narrow chancel and an apse which was made into a sacristy n the 17th century. During the 16th century, the chapel was elevated …
Continue reading “… open the doors and here's all the people”
We came across this little church with its tall steeple as we were cycling from Muides to Chambord. Many churches in the area are dedicated to Saint Martin, who was born in about 316 and died in 397. The Saint Martin de Crouy church was built in the late 11th century. Above the door you can see a …
Continue reading “Here's the church and here's the steeple – Clocher d'église fait battre le coeur”
You know you’re in Sologne when you see a stag’s head on a house! Vous savez que vous êtes en Sologne lorsque vous voyez une tête de cerf sur une maison!
I love the effect typical of Sologne of brick on stone. And the ironwork is a piece of art on its own! J’adore l’effet typique de la Sologne de la brique sur de la pierre. Et le fer forgé est une oeuvre d’art à lui tout seul.
Very different from Renaissance architecture in the Loire Valley, so-called Weser Renaissance architecture developed in northern Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries along the Weser River. An excellent example is the town hall in Hann. Münden. Typical features are elaborate decorative façades with front gables adorned with pyramids, scrolls, spheres, obelisks, intricate carvings, friezes with inscriptions …