Day 32: Melle - Another Hidden Gem on the Voie de Tours (GR655), Walking from Paris to Bordeaux
On Day 32 of my walk I came to Melle which did two things exceptionally well. One was flowers. The other was Romanesque churches, especially St. Hilaire, a world heritage site.
This video is part of a series covering my post COVID project to walk the medieval pilgrim's trail from Paris to Bordeaux. I did it in the Spring of 2023. I have a playlist (introductory video below) which gives the full sequential list of videos for my walk. There are also other, shorter, playlists covering different aspects of the walk such as the best chateaux, the best churches and the best gardens.
The whole walk took 47 days and my route was the GR 655 which recreates the medieval Via Turonensis or Voie de Tours. Today not many pilgrims take this trail and one can walk stretches of it in perfect solitude. However, you do meet other pilgrims, especially in the portion of the walk from Tours to Bordeaux and can experience wonderful fellowship too.
The full route takes you to the Spanish border, crosses the Pyrenees and joins the famous el Camino to Santiago. Ambitious walkers go all the way, a journey of 1800 kms.
I am posting videos explaining, day by day with images, what the walk meant to me and could mean to others who might give it a try.
Here's the link to the introductory video of the series.
• Intro for Walking from...
#GR655
#caminodesantiago
#walkinginfrance
#highbanks.pilgrim
Romanesque
Пікірлер: 5
Such amazing vlogs forever I really enjoyed it stay connected
@highbanks.pilgrim
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for your lovely comment. I am coming to the end of the series and have had a lot of fun doing it.
Comparing the two figures on horse : I suspect the one at Blois is a 19th century recreation (not many royal figures survived the revolution). On the figure at Melle : instead of a royal figure, could it be a much mutilated version of the popular scene of St Martin sharing his clock with the poorman? On damaged figures in French medieval cherches : often the degradations can be attributed to Protestant raids (the Catholics did their own) during the religious and civil troubles of the 16th century.
@highbanks.pilgrim
6 ай бұрын
I really appreciate your comment. I think you are probably right about the age of the royal sculpture at Blois. Regarding the horseman at Melle, I found this sculpture to be one of the most compelling ones of my whole journey which is saying something because I took a close look at Chartres and at Notre Dame La Grande in Poitiers. It was given to the church in Melle by its major benefactor, the local lord of the area. What little I know about it suggests that it’s not St. Martin but a representation of Emperor Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire. Thanks for your interest.
@francoisleyrat8659
6 ай бұрын
Sharing his cloak!