En France

[laprade]

JONZAC 2

Harold, I was back in Meschers last weekend and met a member of the commune council. I asked him about the bell No 2, which isn't functioning, and a supplementary question about the clocks in the department (county). He said that no one was that bothered about the clocks. He didn't even notice that one their bells was out! He said most of the clocks and carillons were electrified.

Jonzac.

The second clock in the château is a sun dial, and is placed over the main door to the Hotel de Ville. (for those of you not familiar with French: the word “hotel” actually means “house”: the police HQ in a city or town is Hotel de Police, etc).

This building is a 19th century- restored renaissance building in the courtyard area. This part of the castle has some quirky items in : pure renaissance: renaissance Gothic.

The buildings of the courtyard also have the “flying dog” rain spouts. Directly over the sally-porte archway, is an ornate Renaissance-Gothic window, and what sets it aside from straight Renaissance, is the “drip lintel”. The sloping cill, has been replaced by some bad repair work. But oddly enough, the Renaissance wing windows on the front of the castle shown in Part 1, have the sloping cills, but no drip-lintels. Also inside the arch area is a very nice renaissance short stone stairway and door, with just a little snip of Gothic, in the door lintel. On the other side is a double door in High Gothic, flanked by two reclining stone lions. On the left of the picture of the doors, is a part of another fine doorway, which I seem to have lost!

The sloping “cill” associated with Gothic style, has a practical use, but not like that of the drip-lintel: it was to stop people levering themselves onto a convenient flat level cill. In those days, one had to control the type of visitor and their method of entry!

Pictures show; 1 sun dial: 2 Hotel de ville 3gargoyle dog spout, 4 double Gothic doorway 5 lion carving 6 renaissance stairway 7 Renaissance gothic window 8 full view of rear of sally-porte; 9 second arch carved head ; 10 right-hand tower (front of château)

[laprade]

JONZAC No 3

I went back to Jonzac at the end of my stay on the Gironde estuary, to take two pictures that I had missed. Not only had I missed (lost) two images, I hadn't noticed a third clock. A second sundial.

It is tucked under the balustrade of part of the Prefecture. The time is told by an arm with a clenched fist, which must have held an iron rod, (missing). The arm grows out of a swirly decoration, that looks like curly hair or snakes (Medusa?)

I show the complete entrance to the Mairie with its sundial. I also show a door and window that show a strange mix of gothic interpretations. The window has a Roman arch, and this shows where the American clock style “Round Gothic” comes from, it is a form of “renaissance gothic”. Note that the door architrave has a little curled point in its lintel, making it “gothic”.

Also included in the pictures are a couple of gargoyle rain-spouts, a small medieval gothic window, and a bass relief plaque.( part of a series of five)

The last set of three pictures, show details of the renaissance window drip lintel, from over the back entrance of the sally-porte. Three things to note: the faces carved into the lintel,: the wrong placing of the lintel and the mason's efforts to keep his design in some sort of symmetry! Lastly: the gothic motifs on the machicolations. Machicolations are the arrangement of corbels with spaces between, to allow all kinds of crap to be dropped on unwelcome visitors!

[laprade]

Since the subject of the Numeral IIII was raised in this thread, I would like to mention that I have revived the thread about it in the clocks section.

I post here also the two pictures kindly given to me by Ansomnia, from his copy of Ernest L Edwardes book on early clocks.

I think the 24 hour dial puts paid to any notions of "symmetry".

The clocks shown are actually related to "Towers" and the ringing of tower bells.

[laprade]

AULNAY PART 1 (Charente-Maritime <17>)


Part of my short break over at the Gironde Estuary was to go and see a very good example of Romanesque in Aulnay. The church turned out to be a gem, but there were two surprizes: two public clocks.

It turned out that the place was 100 km away and we just made it before the sun went down. As we approached the town, I saw a round tower with a bell housing on top, and a small white dial stuck on the side. This turned out to be a 12th c. remnant of a château. The tower has a bad “sloped” roof instead of what would have been originally.

We took a look at that, and then to the church, which is in remarkable condition, and has no additions: it is pure Romanesque. (so they say). As you can see from the photos, we arrived at the right time, and got good light.

Building stone in this area is fossil limestone, and the church is built of this. The high pointed spire is in fact a later addition. Historians say that in the "counter reformation" the Jesuits went round persuading clerics to "modernize" the towers, from the "squat red tiled" roofs, to a higher point. The "slate" on the roof is also a much later change: probably 19th c.

[laprade]

AULNAY PART 2 Charente-Maritime (17)

On our arrival at Aulnay, we parked in the town square. The clock in the pictures is in a building at the top end of the square.

(The close-up picture of the clock is out of sequence due to carelessness!)

Aulnay had one other gem, in the shape of a dovecote with 2000 roosts! I show pictures of the roosts, the building, and a notice with a sketch and explanation. It seems that the number of roosts in a dovecote, depended on the land that went with it.

Since I have a couple of pic spaces to spare, I include a couple of the church from Part I. The West end of the church has a funny little window stuck into the main arch! And picture two, shows how the roof line was somewhat different, at one time. The previous post included a notice that said the church was untouched! I also include a picture of the old cross mentioned in the notice in Part 1.

[makeshift]

Mr. Laprade,

It's a pity the cherub on the left, didn't manage to catch the numeral VII. Probably accounts for the sad expression!

[laprade]

Well spotted, Makeshift!

Saintes part 1

The other week, I went over to the city of Saintes (sant), which is the old administrative capital of the Santoinge, (now known as the Charente-Maritime 17). The city has extensive Roman and Gallo-Roman remains and a very imposing cathedral: Saint Pierre, which besides never actually being finished, also has the scars of the wars of religion.

The cathedral has four clock faces, one of which was bunged on regardless of the partially hidden window!

The building was originally “Romanesque” but was overtaken by a high Gothic-Plantagenet style, as the area was under English-Norman rule after the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of England.

One of the pictures shows half a statue of Saint-Clovis who was a patron of the city. Whether he was damaged by the Protestants or later during the revolution, I don't know. Another picture shows the 'Roman triumphal arch' in amongst a jumble of city life. I discovered later, that it is actually on the other side of the river, all on its own!

The museum of Roman bits, was closed, but I managed to get a shot through the door!

Picture 7 shows the "unfinished" aspect of the cathedral.

[laprade]

Saintes 2

People have PMd me about the interior of the cathedral, and since the clock has four faces, I suppose I can slip in a post to accommodate them.

The interior of the building is light and airy, unlike Romanesque cathedrals. The one anomaly, is the Baldacino over the altar, in neoclassical Corinthian style: completely out of context(7). The barrel vaulted wooden roof is very impressive. The aisles are pleasing to the eye(5). There is a cloister (9) with rib vaulting, but not very ornate, as some cloisters can be, just a small bit of carving on the supports. The cathedral looks very impressive from the higher ground. I include a picture of a drawing, which shows the intricate flying buttresses, and the arch structure.

In the picture of the cloister, you can see the arrangements used here for tops of chimneys: no terracotta pots used in this region.

There is another big clock in Saintes (sant), so there will be a Saintes 3, in which I can show other features of the city)

[laprade]

PARIS: GARE DE LYON


During the bad weather, on my way back home, while in Paris, I managed to get this shot through a taxi window, when stopped in traffic.

It isn't the best of shots, but at least it shows the scale and size. One thing is for certain: it is a purpose built tower and clock, and not something nailed onto an historic monument!

[laprade]

ROYAN, Charente-Maritime (17)


The town of Royan was levelled by the American and Canadians in the second war, and was completely rebuilt, culminating in the erection of a triumphal arch in 1950.

Some of the rebuilding was first rate, and some not. The futuristic church made of concrete is cracking and crumbling, while a whole avenue of apartment blocks looks splendid. I was there a few weeks ago, and the place is in "hibernation" as it is a seaside resort. The Gironde estuary was a grey misty damp cold monster lurking ready to devour the town.

The main clock is in the central post office, which is a mix of box-painted-concrete and American embassy 50's style.

The market hall, is a 50's classic!

The apartments, on the avenue, have fine entrances with base relief carvings. The 50s probably were the last time such things were done, until quite recently.