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Paradoxplace France Photo Galleries Links to all French Cathedral and Abbey Photo Pages in Paradoxplace
Basilique St-Denis, near Paris Signs of the Zodiac and Labours of the Month West Facade Door Jams
Links to all Paradoxplace pages about medieval illustrations of Labours of the Month, Zodiac Signs, Cardinal Virtues and Sins in Western European churches.
Early French Saints, Kings and Queens Back to Basilique St Denis Page
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Left facade door
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LEFT FACADE DOOR JAMS - THE ZODIAC SIGNS
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Gemini May |
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Missing:
Cancer Leo Virgo |
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Taurus April |
Libra September |
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Aries March |
Scorpio October |
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Pisces February |
Sagittarius November |
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Aquarius January |
Capricorn December |
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CENTRAL FACADE DOOR
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Central door - scenes from The Passion (1800s)
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RIGHT FACADE DOOR JAMS - THE MONTHLY LABOURS
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Right facade door
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August - grain threshing
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May - hawking
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April - Spring flowers
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October - acorn gathering
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March - digging
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December - feast
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January - the two faces of the old year and new year
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The two-faced Janus - reaching backwards into the old year and stepping up and reaching forwards into the new - plus an interesting friend holding up the column on the left and accompanied by his pet lion!
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February - marsh mallow toasting? Anyway, it's a more sophisticated activity than the usual boots-off foot warming.
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June - tilling the soil with a rare glimpse of medieval underwear (dress is usually cloaks, plus hoods in winter) and an un-underweared spectator.
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July - harvesting (with clothes) - this time with a thumb sucking spectator.
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September - Wine decanting
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Inside the basilica this restored 1100s mosaic is the only survivor of a set of mosaic monthly activity illustrations.
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November - usually whacking a pig with an axe in preparation for the festive season, but here the action has moved on to pot boiling and bottom shaving (with a second hung curly tailed pig on the right)!
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The remaining monthly activity roundels are in the pipeline.
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All original material on this site © Adrian Fletcher 2000-12 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission
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