Friday 11 January 2013

The Refectory at Saint-Cosme

The refectory door, with its chevron pattern surround.

The Prieuré de Saint-Cosme has a well preserved refectory, with a lovely Romanesque doorway and an interesting pulpit (une chaire romane in French). A monk would be stationed here at meal times to read to the assembly below as they ate.

A composite pilaster in the reading niche.

Access to the niche is via the arch on the left. The reader would go up a short curved staircase and sit looking out over the assembly from the larger arch on the right.

6 comments:

chm said...

One word: beautiful!

Susan said...

chm: it is lovely, isn't it? Have you been there?

chm said...

No Susan, but seeing your photos I wish I did. Romanesque is my favorite style, not that I spit on Gothic or Renaissance, though.

That refectory door is wonderful.

Susan said...

chm: well, maybe we need to make a date for the summer?

the fly in the web said...

Not that Ronsard could have heard the readings even if he had descended among the brethren...

chm said...

That's a deal, Susan. I think my love for the Romanesque style originates in my stay with my mother in St-Savin-sur-Gartempe when I was 15 years old, in 1940, away from the German invasion of Northern France.

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