There is also a château on the island, and Protestants were given permission to hold religious services there during and after the wars of religion...
08 March 2021
L'église Saint-Denys dans l'île d'Oléron
Oléron is not a rocky island, but that doesn't mean it's all sand, dunes, beaches, marshes, and oyster beds. There are also some old stone churches. There used to be more, but they were sacked and burned during the 16th century wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants. The church in the town of Saint-Denis-d'Oléron dates back to the 12th century, and some original features and details remain today. There's another old church in the town of Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, as well as a modern church in La Cotinière.
There is also a château on the island, and Protestants were given permission to hold religious services there during and after the wars of religion...
There is also a château on the island, and Protestants were given permission to hold religious services there during and after the wars of religion...
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The stone work on this church is so beautiful!
ReplyDeletechm said what I was going to write!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought too, I guess. Anyway, I took the photos without knowing anything about it. We were extremely busy during that week of confinement on the île d'Oléron.
DeleteOn the second photo there are what's looks like Roman numerals on that lintel-like stone above the arch.
ReplyDeleteIt looks to me like ST?NDNLMDCQ??XXXIX.
DeleteOK, I get the XXXIX, but the rest? Can't get enough resolution to see more. St. Something? Stan? Kilroy was here?
I think I see LMDCCCXXXIX, which is 1789.
DeleteLook at this photo.
DeleteAnd this photo. Now I see MDCCCLXXXIX, which is 1889.
DeleteCould that be abbreviation for Anno Domini? Looks like ST.AN.DNI. And 1889 would fit with the region being a summer watering hole for Parisian richies.
DeleteWow,I love the weather-beaten smooth patina that the carvings have. Great photos, Ken!
ReplyDeleteThe stone looks almost soft. Beautiful pictures!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Very 3-dimensional rose window above the front portal. Some of the carvings look Celtic.
ReplyDeleteOn early 20th century postcards of this church, you can see four statues, the Four Evangelists (?), atop the four columns on the facade. I wonder what happened to them and why they were removed?
ReplyDeleteYesterday I came across this blog about the churches and cemeteries of the île d'Oléron, including the church in Saint-Denis.
DeleteThe post about the Saint-Denis church is here. And the blog features some beautiful photos of... birds!
Delete