Crucifix of King Ferdinand & Queen Sancha, circa 1063, Ivory and Jet, Madrid Archeological Museum The final scenes in Christ's life (chronologically and cosmologically) reveal his excruciating transformation from human sacrifice to redeemer and ruling god in heaven. Above is the first carved crucifix made in Spain. A crucifix differs from a cross in that it depicts Christ's body nailed upon the cross. So, it is more explicit than symbolic. This crucifix is Romanesque, and i

Here, I continue to point out some features of church architecture, generally before 1100. Please see Part 1 post for more on this...

This image features the fate of the damned--stretching from their judgment by Saint Michael (upper-left), across to punishments for...

Up in the remote hills in northern Spain, the monastery of San Juan de la Pena contains the ruins of a tiny cloister, with magnificent...

Notre Dame de Paris was engulfed in a terrible fire in 2019. Here, I include some of my photos of the interior, taken in 2018. I don't...

This entry continues an analysis of the thirteenth century choir screen of Notre Dame de Paris, with photos taken in 2018, before the...

One thing that revolutionized looking at medieval stained glass for me was using a serious zoom lens, and then spending time in...

Chartres isn't very far from Paris, by modern standards, and its veneration of Mary is an occasion for comparisons to Notre Dame de Paris....