Pietà en bois au l'Eglise Notre-dame de Vire

À Vire, la capitale du Bocage Virois, il y a une Pietà en bois. Pietà est une composition de sculptures de la Viérge portant sur ses genoux le corps du Christ mort.

Cette composition est une des plus célèbres images dans la tradition artistique chrétienne. A l'église Notre-Dame de Vire on peut la voir en bois. Il y a des marques du temps, des trous, des dommages de la guerre. Et, malgré tout, cette composition reste capable de nous émouvoir.

Il y a là, un mystère. De quelle période on la dater? De l'époque de la Renaissance? de la fin du siècle? ou quand? Je pense que j'ai trouvé un indice. Je continue d'enquêter.

Au dos de la Viérge —

vue générale de la Pietà —

Le bois endommagé —

La nef de l'eglise —

Jésus avec un trou à l'éstomac —

 le trou dans la jambe de Jésus (dans la cheville) —

des artistes faisant des esquisses — 

Notre Dame de Vire

The Notre-Dame church in Vire was founded in 1150. The Western wall of the current church (seen on the left in the first photo) and some interior incorporate features of that original church. By 1272 it was rebuilt in Gothic style and dedicated to Notre-Dame (Our Lady). Over the centuries it had various elements added, including the choir, which was designed by the same maitre who worked on Mont-Saint-Michel.
A few years ago a minimalist spacious open amphitheatre was built of in front of the Northern wall. beautiful white stone, of warm shade and a pleasure to sit on even when it's not very warm. (seen partly on the far left of the first photo, and in close-up in the second photo).

During the second world war Vire was twice heavily bombed. Most of the buildings around the church were completely destroyed but Notre-Dame, though seriously damaged, remained standing. In a communal effort it was restored by 1948, though some work had to be done in later years. It is in perfect condition today and worth a visit.

/français/
L'église Notre-Dame de Vire était fondée vers 1150 comme une chapelle romane Saint-Blaise. Édifiée à partir des environs de 1230, sur le bases de cette chapelle, en style gothique une nouvelle église est dédiéeà Notre-Dame le 20 juillet 1272. Elle est agrandie en différents styles jusqu'a XVI siècle. Élevation du choeur gothique flamboyant dont le maître d'ouevre serait celui de l'abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel. Elle dut être restaurée en 1948 après les bombardements du 6 juin 1944. (voir le dernier photo).

/russe, in Russian/
Церковь Нотр-Дам в городе Вир, Кальвадос, Нормандия. Церковь основана в 12-м веке, сначала как часовня местного прихода, с 1272 года перестроена и освящена как церковь Нотр-Дам (Богородицы). Западная стена (слева на первом снимке) сохранила элементы изначальной постройки 12-го века. Внешние архитектурные элементы готические. На церкви сохранились "гаргойлы" — водостоки, выполненные в форме мифических зверей.
Хоры внутри церкви добавлены в 16-м веке, построены тем же мастером, который работал в знаменитом аббатстве Мон-Сен-Мишель в часе езды от Вира.
Город, важный железнодорожный узел, жестоко пострадал во время второй мировой войны, его дважды массированно бомбили Союзники — в день высадки в Нормандии 6 июня 1944 года и затем в июле того же года перед освобождением Вира от немецко-фашистских оккупантов (см. третий снимок). Церковь была восстановлена в 1948 году.
Несколько лет назад с северной стороны построен просторный амфитеатр белого камня для городских концертов (виден слева на первом фото, ступени-сидения для зрителей крупным планом на втором снимке). Поразительно: камень всегда теплый, приятно посидеть даже в не самый жаркий нормандский день.
Сегодня церковь в отличном состоянии и производит ошеломляющее впечатление — покоем, скромным убранством, духом столетий.

Photo par Hélena Mokshina.

Marbres blanches d'amphithéâtre en face l'église. Photo par Alexander Anichkin.

Vue aérienne de la ville de Vire après les bombardements du 6 juin, l'église Notre-Dame est le seul édifice debout au milieu des immeubles en ruines. / Bird's eye view of the church after the bombings of 6 June 1944. / Центр Вира с церковью Нотр-Дам после бомбардировки 6 июня 1944 года (день высадки Союзников в Нормандии) Photo de Wikimedia.

Lines in Stone. Vire. Normandy.

A recent addition to the Notre-Dame cathedral in Vire — atrium with steps in stone.

Brilliant in May sunshine.

The Satyr of Caen, With Apples

 Photo: ©A.Anichkin

At first I thought it was an imp, but having examined the carving closer, I decided it's probably a satyr. It has goat's horns, traditional for satyrs, and his beard rests on a bunch of fruit, as satyrs often accompanied the god of grape harvest, wine and wine-making Dionysus who is also the god of theatre.

The wood carving hangs on an outside wall of a house in a narrow alley in Caen simply as a decoration. The dark brown of the wood looks stunning against the background of the honey-coloured wall of Caen stone.

What struck me as unusual in this image is that the fruit are definitely not grape shaped. They look more like apples – fittingly for the region of Normandy, famous for its old tradition of making cidre, pommeau and calvados, drinks based on apple juice.

Caen is a fantastic city to explore. The old capital of William the Conqueror was heavily bombed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944. Many medieval buildings were destroyed and never rebuilt, but architectural fragments can be found here and there and everywhere, inside and outside, incorporated into houses still standing today.

The flat top of the carving suggests it could have been a capital, the ornamental top of a column. It may have been inside an important house, or part of the facade decoration. There are a few surviving examples of such elaborately carved facades in Caen.

Let me know if you can further identify the image or the fruit.

Below is the ancient theatre mask of satyr to compare. (Roman artwork, 2 Century AD, photo by Jastrow)

A Sunny Day in Caen

The Abbaye aux hommes (Men's Abbey) shines in the glorious spring sun. The original squat Romanesque church on the right was built in the 11th Century. Gothic elements were added in the 12th Century. The flying buttresses can be seen supporting the narrow tall structures in the centre. The classicist building on the left is the Caen town hall (hôtel de ville).

During the Battle of Normandy in 1944 Caen citizens were hiding inside the church. A hospital was set up there and a large red cross painted in blood on the roof to show Allied aircraft that it was not to be bombed.

Photo ©A.Anichkin

Pretty Houses of Houlgate

Villa Madeleine in Houlgate.

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Old seaside resorts of Calvados are full of beautiful houses from the belle epoque. Scary even to think how much their upkeep may cost.

Contributed by Elsie Macphie,

Calvados

Iris, the Root of Normandy

Iris, a beautiful flower for which Normans found a very practical use. Plants develop strong root systems that hold together the ridge of traditional Norman thatched houses (chaumière). That's why irises often can be seen on top of cottages (see in the photo below).

Sent by Francesca Bostock, the Manche

Chaumière normande (St Sulpice de Graimbouville) - a Norman cottage.

Photo from Wikipedia.

St Peter's Abbey in Calvados

A honey-coloured gothic collonnade lines the inner court of Abbaye Saint Pierre in Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives with a couple of decaying sculptures.

Hidden gems: Chaulieu castle

Medieval castles often perch on top of a hill, but many beautiful chateaux built in 16-17th centuries sit low to be close to rivers and lakes.

Art Nouveau architecture

Art Nouveau pharmacy in Douvres-la-Délivrande, a seaside town near Caen.

Sent by Shu Milne,
Calvados