The wind carried me back from Al-Andalus through Poitou and Aquitaine. I had read and been told many things about the church of Notre Dame la Grande in Poitiers but I had to see it with my own eyes to appreciate poitevin Romanesque art at its best. Standing outside the west front, I was struck... Continue Reading →
The Romanesque symbolism of permanence
A poem of living stones. In their form, the Romanesque symbols are akin to clay pots. They contain, however, living water, the mystery of the Holy Grail. Carriers of ancient wisdom, they reveal the true Knowledge that prevents human death and radiate everlasting youth. In the 12th century, raw, virgin stone is deemed androgynous, which... Continue Reading →