This ecumenical tour from 28 May to 21 June visited a number of monasteries and religious sites plus prehistoric,
Roman, medieval and Renaissance sites in Portugal, Spain and France.
PORTUGAL
After landing in Lisbon we were taken on a coach tour of the city, including the principal squares and memorials to Portuguese exploration. A stopping point of interest was the Jerónimos Monastery, begun by King Manuel I in 1501 and typical of the unique Manueline architectural style. The church contains the tomb of the explorer Vasco da Gama. With the dissolution of the religious orders in Portugal in 1834 the monastery passed into the hands of the State. The next morning began with a tour along the coast, including Cabo da Roca, the western most point of continental Europe and then to Sintra with its royal palace. The afternoon was spent at Evora, visiting São Francisco with its ghoulish ossuary chapel, the 12th century cathedral and the 2nd century Roman temple. The following day saw a stop at the walled town of Obidos and the church of Santa Maria with its interior walls covered in patterned blue tiles (azulejos). Then on to one of the outstanding visits, the former Cistercian monastery of Alcobaça, founded in 1153. The church is marked by the elegant simplicity of the nave. In the transepts are the 14th century tombs of Pedro I and Inês de Castro, recalling one of the great medieval love stories. Also of note are the cloister, kitchen and refectory. Next was the 15th century Dominican monastery of Batalha, an amazing mix of Gothic and Manueline styles. Of particular interest are the cloisters and unfinished chapels commissioned by King Duarte as a mausoleum.
Jeronimos Cloister
Alcobaca Nave Batalha Nave Batalha Fountain
(Click on thumbnail images to enlarge)
Very different was the next stop at Fatima, site of the 1917 apparitions of Mary to the three children Francisco, Jacinta and Lúcia. The area
around the Basilica and Chapel of the Apparitions was striking in not being commercialised. Finally, there was a visit to the monastery-fortress
of the Knights Templar (later Knights of Christ) at Tomar, begun in 1160 but with building continuing until the 17th century. Very unusual is the
Templars’ Rotunda within the church. The Renaissance cloisters are a contrast to the exuberance of the Manueline decoration on some of the
windows. Continuing the next day we came to Coimbra, famous for its university founded in the 13th century although its present lodging is from
the 16th century. The famous 18th century library consists of three rooms with Baroque gilded timber shelves holding some 300,000 books from
the 16th to the 18t centuries. Also on view are the Award Room, the Examination Room and the Chapel. A visit to the old Romanesque cathedral
and the conven of Santa Clara-a-Nova containing the tomb of the sainted Queen Isabel completed our stay.
Coimbra Library
Fatima Tomar Tomar Entry
A further stop was the monastery of Lorvão, originally of Benedictine monks and known for its scriptorium but given
to Cistercian nuns in the 13th century. Here St Teresa of Portugal is buried, along with her sister, daughters of
Sancho I and subsequently nuns. Although the buildings are in disrepair, there are outstanding choir stalls in
jacaranda and walnut. Then to Aveiro with its multicoloured houses. After visiting the town next morning we
proceeded to Porto, visiting the ornately gilded São Francisco and Graham’s Port estate. The last day in Portugal
saw us at Guimarães admiring the 15th century palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the Church of Our Lady of the
Olive Tree. At Braga we climbed down from the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte by the Stairway of the Three
Virtues and the Stairway of the Five Senses, thus reversing the allegorical journey to salvation. Also in Braga is the
oldest cathedral in Portugal. The present building is 11th century, while the diocese claims to go back to the 4th
century. One of the early bishops buried here is St Martin of Braga who founded a monastery at nearby Dumio and
translated some of the literature of the Egyptian desert elders into Latin.
Lorvao Choir Lorvao RB Ms Braga Bom Jesus Stairs
SPAIN
Crossing into Spain we arrived at Santiago de Compostela in time for the midday pilgrim Mass. This was crowded
and involved many addresses to particular groups. Being a Holy Year at the shrine, the huge incense burner
(botafumeiro) hung from the dome was swung to the eaves. The 11th century cathedral with an 18th century
Baroque façade has a magnificent portal in the narthex with Christ surrounded by the four Evangelists and 24 Elders,
with the apostles and prophets on the pillars. To one side of the cathedral is the monastery of San Martín Pinario,
to which belonged, until its suppression in 1835, Dom Salvado and Dom Serra, whose coming to Western Australia
resulted in the foundation of New Norcia. In Barcelona, which we reached by air, a city tour indicated some of the
outstanding architecture of Gaudí and Puig I Cadafalch. Particularly impressive was La Sagrada Família. This was
begun in 1882 under Villar and worked on by Gaudí from 1883 to his death in1926. It was continued by Subirachs
and others and it is estimated there is another twenty years’ work to complete it. What was striking was the carving
in stone of scripture events as on the Façade of the Passion and the Façade of the Nativity. Here was being repeated
in our own time what we later saw in the medieval carvings at Moissac and the stained glass of La Sainte-Chapelle in
Paris, the Word of God in art. It belies efforts to ignore or deny the Christian influence on Europe. From the cathedral
of Barcelona, begun in the 13th century, there was a fine view over the city.
Another highlight was the monastery of Montserrat, situated 725 metres above sea level on a serrated range some
ten by five kilometres, about an hour and a half from Barcelona. The site dates back to the 9th century when,
according to legend, an image of the Mother of God was found in a cave. Various hermitages are recorded and the
monastery was founded in 1025. The present church was consecrated in 1592, but the place was sacked by
Napoleon in 1812. The monks returned in 1844 and today the monastery with its shrine is a popular place for
pilgrims and tourists. It was from here that many monks came to New Norcia, WA. The museum includes paintings
by Caravaggio, El Greco, Tiepolo, Monet, Renoir, Rouault, Picasso and Dalí. There is a rack railway and cable car
to the foot of the mountain and two funicular railways that lead to numerous walking tracks. We arrived for 11.00am
Mass followed by the Escolanía, the boys’ choir that dates back to the 13th century. A few kilometres down the
road is the women’s monastery of Sant Benet. Here we were warmly welcomed and saw the modern chapel,
symbolising the embrace of God, and art works and ceramics designed by the sisters.
Santiago de Compostela
Sagrada Familia Passion Portal Montserrat Church Sant Benet
One of the attractions of this tour was the opportunity to visit the Abbey of St Martin du Canigou. After crossing the Pyrenees we came to the foot of the pinnacle on which it is perched, something like a western version of Meteora. We had been warned it was 40 minutes on foot, but as we were short on time resorted to three jeeps. What we were not warned about was the narrowness of the single lane road, the lack of safety fences and the number of hairpin bends – each one threatening to plunge us rear end first into the abyss. The reward at the top was worth the trauma. The monastery was founded in 1005 and occupied by Benedictines until 1783. It was restored in the 20th century and is now occupied by the Community of the Beatitudes. The church and crypt, both Romanesque, are beautifully simple. Unfortunately, only a couple were able to make the extra climb that enabled a view over the complex, revealing the majesty of its position. Further along the road, beyond Prades, is the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa. The church dates to the 10th century church has unusual Moorish arches and contains some exquisite medieval statuary. Abandoned at the French Revolution, it became Cistercian in 1919 and Benedictine again in 1965 as a dependency of Montserrat. A tour of Perpignan included the cathedral of St Jean. The next morning saw a stop at the Abbey of Fontfroide. However, as the church was closed we saw only the exterior. Founded as Benedictine in 1093, it became Cistercian from 1145-1791 and from 1858-1901. It was prominent in the crusade against the Albigensians. Continuing to Narbonne, the oldest Roman colony in Gaul, we saw the 14th century cathedral of Saints Just and Pasteur, of which only the choir is complete. Finally, there was a stop at the fabled city of Carcassonne with its 12th century castle and cathedral and surrounding walls completed in the 13th century still intact. Unfortunately, fame has also led to extensive commercialism.
St Martin-du-Canigou
Canigou Nave St-Michel de Cuxa Carcassonne
At Toulouse the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a former Benedictine abbey church, is the largest Romanesque structure, dating to the 11th century. There also, in the Church of the Jacobins is the tomb of St Thomas Aquinas. Another much anticipated point on the itinerary was the Abbey of Saint-Pierre at Moissac, founded in the 7th century and part of the Cluniac reform. The magnificent south portal, inspired by the vision of the Apocalypse and carved around 1130, is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque art. Likewise the 76 capitals of the cloister, the majority depicting scenes from the Bible or lives of the saints. Then on to Cahors to see the cathedral of Saint-Étienne, consecrated in 1119 and adorned with two two massive cupolas, and the Pont Valentré, a fortified bridge from the 14th century. Another spectacular site is the village of Rocamadour that cascades down the side of a cliff. It is home to a shrine of a 12th century black Madonna. The delightful medieval and Renaissance town of Sarlat has for its cathedral, Saint-Sacerdos, a former Cluniac abbey church. Going back almost 20,000 years are the cave paintings of Lascaux.. What is seen today is a replica, the original having been closed for preservation.
Moissac cloister
Aquinas romb Moissac portal Rocamadour Lascaux
From Limoges, which was base for three nights, we went to Périgueux whose cathedral of Saint-Front is notable for its five domes. Then to the former Benedictine abbey of Brantôme founded in the 8th century under Charlemagne. The original monks were cave dwellers but eventually an extensive monastic complex developed and with it the inevitable decadence. In Limoges itself there was the inevitable shopping at a porcelain outlet. We also attended Sunday Mass at the cathedral of Saint-Étienne, begun in1273. The crypt of Saint-Martial, all that remains of the 9th century abbey, was unfortunately closed. In Poitiers was the fascinating discovery of the 4th century baptistery of Saint-Jean with an octagonal immersion pool. The renowned Romanesque church of Notre-Dame-La-Grande was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The Gothic cathedral of Saint-Pierre was begun in 1162, probably by Eleanor of Aquitaine and has magnificent stained glass. A long walk led to another Romanesque gem, the church of Saint-Hilaire. From here we went to the fortified former abbey of Nouaillé Maupertuis. Dating back to Carolingian times, it entered the Congregation of Saint-Maur in 1618 and is now used as a parish church. A good example of a ‘live’ abbey was that of Saint-Martin de Ligugé, founded by St Martin of Tours in 361, although there are only archaeological remains of the original buildings. Here we joined the monks for Vespers at 6.00pm.
Brantome
Limoges Cathedral Poitiers baptistery Nouaille Maupertuis Liguge Abbey Church
The following day took us to the Abbey of Fontevraud, founded in 1101 as a joint monastery of men and women. Under the Plantagenets it became a royal necropolis; recumbent effigies of Richard the Lionheart and his parents Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are still to be found in the nave of the church. At Tours is found the tomb of St Martin (316-97) bishop of the city and monastic founder. It is now housed in a 19th century basilica, the original having been almost completely destroyed. The cathedral of Saint-Gatien was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. It has a Renaissance cloister with scriptorium and library. A different type of visit was that to the Château de Chambord, begun in 1519 by Francis I with a double-helix staircase, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. In Orleans we visited the cathedral of Sainte-Croix largely rebuilt from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Nearby is the Hôtel Groslot, a 16th century mansion used after the French Revolution as the town hall. There is also a reconstruction of the house in which Joan of Arc stayed in 1429.
Chambord
Fontevraud - Richard II Tours Cathedral Orleans Cathedral
On the first day in Paris there was a city tour. Some had earlier visited the Maison d’Église in La Defense a treasure of modern sculpture in the heart of this bustling new area of the city. The following day some managed to “do” the Louvre, the Picasso Museum, the Panthéon, the Cluny Museum, St-Étienne-du-Mont, St-Sulpice and even the Musée d’Orsay. A last effort on the final day included the Sainte-Chappelle and Sacré Coeur.
Notre Dame Paris
Maison d'Eglise Louvre - St Menas Cluny - Gospel cover Sacre Coeur
Michael Kelly OSB