The shyness and humility of the Indians of the Peruvian High Plateau are such that it takes them hours to make the slightest purchase. This is why the markets lasted so long in these places where pre-Columbian civilisations flourished, and whose testimonies, after having defied the centuries in the peace of their tombs, attest to … Continued
For almost two centuries, from the 11th to the 12th century, Romanesque architecture covered Western Europe with churches and monasteries. The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela became almost as important to a Christian as the pilgrimage to Mecca was to a Muslim, and seven centuries later, as we retrace the route to Compostela, we realise … Continued
For many, the church of St Pierre d’Aulnay in Saintonge is the most successful masterpiece of Romanesque art in France. It was one of the main stops on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. We look at it as the pilgrims did in days gone by. Their joys, their sorrows, the legends they told each … Continued
There have always been, and always will be, ironmongers whose technique remains unchanged, despite styles and eras, whether it’s the grille of a 13th-century cloister or a Louis XVI door.A piece of ironwork is first drawn as a whole in reduction, then each detail is reproduced in life size on a sheet of metal. The … Continued
François Rude was born in Dijon, where his taste for opulent homes and beautiful, robust things was expressed in art with full forms that were always close to the truth. By chance, he attended a drawing prize-giving ceremony and his vocation was decided. At the age of 26, he was awarded the Grand Prix de … Continued
The spellbinding power of the sounds and rhythms that have for centuries marked a still time of birth and death, the ringing of bells and the activity of bell-ringing continue in the Haut-Pays Niçois, strongly linked to a whole range of musical practices. In these valleys where men have had to leave to earn their … Continued