Anyone else know that odd sensation when you actually take a minute to explore a place you've been through a hundred times?
So Without Further procrastination, join me on a little walk through the outskirts of the town of St. Beat - Home of a metric shit ton of flooding and even more buildings dedicated to the bearded dude in the sky.
Also something worth noting is The white Marble Quarries in the area, The stone from here has been used for numerous sculptures and monuments since the Good old Roman days.
I love this feel of this place and we have passed through the town a good few times on our way into Spain.(as mentioned above weren't you reading?) Occasionally grabbing a coffee and croissant in the town center.
But the cooler parts outside?
Somehow we never really stopped and had a look around.
When we pulled up even our parking spot had a wicked view, and if it hadn't of been so damn cold there are plenty of places to take a dip in that icy mountain water.
I put a hand in, No thanks doc.
But anyway, enough about the parking lot.
Todays walk around will be centred around the-
Eglise Saint-Benoît et Saint-Privat
(Sorry its not a church dedicated to you Ed :P)
Typical of this Region and the Val D'aran it has the carved archway centrepiece and columns around the entry. All built and carved from the local white marble.
I am always impressed by the level of detailing that the stone masons managed to coax out of their oversized Lego Blocks.
Imagine one of these bastards breaking after you have spent 10 hours carving a nostril.
Hammer thrown, Foreman hit, executed for treason.
Dark ages Rage quitting at its finest.
The interior is Typical Romanesque architecture at its finest. 3 large aisles surrounded by arches and vaulted ceilings, all carved from this towns self same famous white marble.
I gotta be honest though, the lights hanging in here look like rejects from a 70s Sci-Fi movie. Someone obviously decided that this fine specimen of Architecture really needed some fluorescent lighting.
Everything's better under the glow of 100 Watt CFTs, Especially with yellow reflectors Right?
I think its great that these heritage sights are left open during the day, It makes it easy to get decent shots and also makes looking around alot easier. No goodie two Shoes telling you where and when to look.
No one telling you to keep your kids in silence, and best of all You can get up close and personal with the artifacts.
If you time it right you can even spend the whole time without seeing another person.
Ahh A beautifully preserved Middle ages Frise with an original CCTV Camera Hiding in its natural habitat. Sneaky...
The model for this piece was the same as children everywhere, Bored and tired of standing still...
The eyes are a bit creepy tho.
Maybe that's why I keep getting the feeling I'm being watched in here.
I'm always curious when I see these depictions of the crucifixion front and centre.
I Always wonder why Jesus cant be chilling with his buddies at ground level. Maybe give the dude a break and a comfy chair once in a while. Instead he gets the Nosebleed seat.
Oooh Bars, What's it Hiding? What do they think Is gonna get stolen in here?
Lets have a peek...
1632... Illegible writing for the most part... Guess its worth protecting, After all No ones gonna pinch the highly valuable artwork everywhere else in the building...
Cause... CCTV
But this Marble bust would be a bit heavy to try and carry...
Nice shot of the aforementioned nostrils.
And Saint Antoine is busy Babysitting. He looks happy enough though so maybe I'll just move on.
So I guess all in all the place is pretty safe. I Imagine a good dose of Catholic Guilt keeps anyone from borrowing more than a chip of stone from the courtyard.
Speaking of which...
Back outside is this nice little courtyard with a Big Iron cross, Which is a souvenir of Christian Missions dating between 1852 and 1912.
These 'Missions' Included spreading the gospel, creating some new disciples and the baptism of believers. The Tradition itself is based on the Great Commission given by Jesus in the New Testament.
Sounds fun...
Nothing like a Carved Etruscan Lion spreading his wings on top to make sure you got the security covered.
He is pretty damn impressive, I wonder if I should get one for my yard.
These types of statues are my favorites, Strangely enough he appears to be carved from a contrasting stone. Which leads me to believe that maybe he was pinched from somewhere else, or added later.
Anyway That's my little walk around the church, Its a great little side trip and worth a look around.
But now I have to be honest I'm more interested in what's up these stairs right Here..
Now that looks pretty damn interesting.
Ok, Ok... Let me say This is a First For Me I'm going to have to split this visit into 2 posts.
The second half will be comin soon enough, but first I have a few other drafts to sort out.
Mostly because otherwise this is going to be so long and drawn out no one in their right mind would be able to read the entire thing.
Until the next episode, and Thanks for joining me on this little adventure and fingers crossed...
I still haven't burst into flames.
Ah Shit I almost forgot....
A Brief History Lesson-
Less is More
This church as it stands was built sometime in the 12th century, on the remains of A Benedictine monastery That had been established in St Beat since the 8th century,The land and remains of the monastery were then given to the priory of Lézat in 1003.
A Small Monastery remained attached until the 14th Century When it was abandoned and fell into ruin.
As usual Lots of passing things about in the church at that time.
In the 15th Century the floor was raised to prevent damage due to flooding, Which historically and even today has been a big problem here.
In 1880 the last true renovation works on the structure were carried out, with only minor maintenance having occurred since.
Summary: Building go up, Building fall down, replace broken bits and leave it.
All Photos taken on My chinesium Xiaomi M11 Lite