narbonne

[pilvikki]

took a trip over to Narbonne last week. it's an old roman founded city with lots of left-overs, like this deconsecrated (really?) church with 2000 stone blocks. the blocks are pretty much all lined up on the floor, stacked on each other, about the same size. they have writing or art chiselled on them and all duly numbered, but nowhere is there a map or guide as to what they're from. except probably mostly from graves with a lot of either coffins or bath tubs...

[Icey]

Ooh, but that last pic's beautiful!

Did they not have guide books explaining about the stones and inscriptions?

[pilvikki]

nothing!

but didn't have to pay either, although i'd have preferred that.

[Icey]

I tried to look it up for you, to get an idea of things, but there's the Narbonne cathedral and several churches. Wasn't sure which it was, but from the bits I read, the area's full of history from way back.

[pilvikki]

Narbonne itself: http://www.livius.org/articles/place/narbo-narbonne/?

the blocks are in Notre dame de Lamouguier and I found this from tripadvisor:

This museum is currently in temporary premises in a disused church and at present comprises only stacks of Roman headstones neatly arranged in rows. It is nonetheless fascinating. It is shortly to be relocated to new premises with 'interpretation'.

bloody hell, I thought moving households was work!

[Icey]

Some work involved there, then, and interesting link.

Didn't the Dukes of Toulouse used to govern half of it, with someone else (maybe the church?) running the rest?

[pilvikki]

i'm not sure but everything around here has been owned by everybody at one time or another.

we were out looking for the bishop's palace, but never di find it, although it was supposedly right by the half-built cathedral we were in....

[pilvikki]

should have said 'half finished' cathedral.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/fran ... -cathedral

[Icey]

To say the first stone was laid in 1272, that's some awesome piece of architecture.

[pilvikki]

it looks rather majestic just as it is and I seem to recall the Salisbury one is from the same time? except they got it done. eventually.

[Icey]

Salisbury was opened in 1320. I don't know when the first stone was laid, but yes, another superb example of early architecture that still stands.

Then there's the poor old cathedral in Barcelona that seems it'll never get finished. : (