Gryphons on a Stone Shield

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

St-Denis Basilica

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Capricorn near the Altar

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

St-Denis Basilica

This is the last in my series of zodic animals on the floor near the high altar of St. Denis Basilica near Paris. You can see the others here. A better view of Taurus appears here along with an explanation of how Zodiac signs came to be associated with Christian churches.

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A Crab in the Aisle

St-Denis Basilica, St-Denis, France ~
October 15, 2008

You'll find this crab and gryphon among other images from the zodiac in the aisle leading to the high altar in St-Denis Basilica near Paris. I was surprised to see signs of the zodiac inside a church, but I should not have been. You can read more about the convention here.

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Light in the Crypt

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

St-Denis Basilica

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Pisces

St-Denis Basilica, St-Denis, France ~

October 15, 2008

I've already posted Taurus from the flooring in front of the high altar, and today we have Pisces. For a further description, click on the link above to the Taurus post.

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Glass of St. Denis Basilica

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

At the end of the Metro line from Paris

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Taurus

St-Denis Basilica, St-Denis, France ~

October 15, 2008

I don't know the vintage of the flooring in front of the high altar (it looks relatively new), but it seemed strange to me that it was filled with signs of the Zodiac, as I had never associated these signs with Christianity. But I hadn't paid enough attention. It seems that the constellations helped people of the Middle Ages follow the dictates of the seasons in their preparation of food, planting of crops, and other seasonal activities that their lives depended on, or that added to their quality of life. These called Labors of the Months, and are often depicted around church doors, in stained glass, carved misericords, illuminated manuscripts, and elsewhere. Now I'll be looking for them!

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Naked into eternity

St-Denis, France ~ October 15, 2008

The exquisite and unusual funerary monument of Francois I and Claude de France rests in the south transept of St-Denis Basilica near Paris. It's unusual because monuments to kings and queens don't usually appear nude and naturalistic. The artists were Philibert Delorme and Pierre Bontemps. It's one of my favorite pieces of sculpture. Even the feet are beautiful in their artistic sensitivity and sensuality. Claude (1499-1524) died at the age of 24 after bearing the king seven children. Wikipedia calls her "the pawn of so much dynastic maneuvering." Reading between the lines, she may have had privilege, but how little freedom? Francois (1494-1547) lived to the age of 52, and was considered France's first Renaissance monarch.