Modillions and Gargoyles: Are They Relatives?
by hquittner
Late Romanesque churches have Modillions and Early Gothic ones have Gargoyles. We think they are related. We believe that Modillions as carved heads and other figures came into existence as a training tool in stone carving for apprentices. As they were shaping the stone ribs for chapel roofs. the large rough ends served as practice material (similar to the corners on capital blocks). The intention was to chisel them off and trim the ends to a uniform appearance. Luckily the creations exceeded expectation and it became apparent that this form of finishing the ends was less demanding than creating uniform smooth ones. (Soon there must have been competitons and prizes, which explains the enormous variety figures and subjects). Such extraneous carving also took place at the bases of columns where they were occasionally left in situ because they were so attractive (look for them on the Baptistry at Pisa or in the cloisters at Monreale: lizards and such). This is actually a throwback to stone construction on the Greek Temple column drums where projections were left on them to aid in positioning and grinding the apposing faces for a snug fit and then smoothing off the projections. Thus when it came time to keep rain water from pooling and pouring down at juncture points in Gothic buildings which used a different roof structure, it was easy to visualize a Modillion rib with a grooved upper surface and a gaping (gurgling) mouth projecting outward and deflecting the water, in other words, a Gargoyle. Sculpture as art has been intertwined with stone-work construction (architecture). In fact in 1050, not far from Carcassonne, sculpture was reborn in the churches and cloisters of Moissac and Toulouse (see our Tips on this at both places) in the form of capitals, tympani and bas-reliefs. The admiration for such work persisted and was expressed at St. Nazaire. When Viollet-le-Duc was restoring the church (and later the fortifications) he became enamored of the fine Gargoyles here and immediately planned to fix those at Notre Dame in Paris which were in terrible condition. In fact the most popular ones in Paris were invented by him as imaginative creations in Gothic style.
La cité "modèle"
by Klod5
Chevalet sous le bras, les peintres, "professionnels" ou simples amateurs, ne vont jamais cesser de venir à la cité comme à une inépuisable source d'images. Lieu de mémoire essentiel, figure incontournable de l'inspiration autochtone, l'antique citadelle attira très tôt les artistes parisiens comme Poterlet qui lui consacra, dans les années 1860, à peine les travaux de restauration commencés, plus de vingt pièces. Aux lendemains de la Seconde Guerre mondiale l'ampleur de ce phénomène enferma le site dans des représentations un peu conventionnelles. Rack under the arm, the painters, professional " or simple amateurs, are not going to stop coming to the city ever as to an inexhaustible source of pictures. essential memory Place, face obligatory of the autochthonous inspiration, the ancient citadel attracted the Parisian artists very early as Poterlet that dedicated him, in the years 1860, hardly the works of restoration begun, more than twenty pieces. On the following days of World War II the size of this phenomenon locked the site in representations a little conventional in.
The towers of Carcassonne
by DMcD
You can wander this old town for hours (or a couple days) and never run out of things to see. After you check-out the more than 50 towers surrounding this beautiful restored Cathar citadel , you may find yourself running into the tomb of a Templar knight or sit down to eat some delicious wild boar stew at one of the several bistros. This is a terrific place to experience.
A beautiful Pieta
by leics
Tucked away in the Basilica de St Nazaire et St Celse, in La Cite, is this rather lovely Pieta. It dates (I think) from the 1500's, but is not noteworthy enough for me to find any written information on it in my papers. I think it is beautiful.
Tour of the Ramparts
by Aleyd
Tours of the main residence, ramparts and towers are run from the Chateau Comtal, and are included in the entry price. These areas can only be accessed on one of the tours. The majority of the tours are in French or Spanish. A few tours are run in English, German and one or two in Italian. The tour is a must-see, so I would be heading to the Chateau Comtal first thing and checking out tour times. The tour takes you up on to the upper sections of the walls and inside some of the towers. The guide gives a run down of the history of Carcassonne and points out sections of the architecture relevant to different time periods. This really put everything in perspective.
The tour runs from the courtyard of the Chateau Comtal, up on to the ramparts, past the 5 star hotel, and ends at the Cathedral (Basilique Saint Nazaire). If you haven't already seen the Chateau Comtal museum you can head back there with your entry ticket and they'll let you straight in.
Entry for adults is E$6,10 for the Ramparts Tour and the Chateau Comtal Museum. I definately found it value for money.
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Carcassonne, curtain wall and fortification
Eglise St. Hilaire in Carcassonne
La Cité/The Fortified City (Carcassonne, France)
Pont Vieux (Carcassonne, France)
