Description
The only thing left of the Romanesque church of Saint-Martin is its beautiful sculpted, listed portal. It retains a great deal of mystery because its history remains unknown.
"The portal, made of reddish-brown volcanic tuff, is adorned with three deep archivolts framed by a richly sculpted decoration of strange and varied motifs: figures, devouring monsters, sirens… A motif is repeated on a capital in the church of Lespéron: a figure holding a serpent in both hands, its head reaching the level of its chin and coiled around its right leg. The archivolts rest on small columns with sculpted capitals, one of which is particularly striking. It depicts a woman being bitten on the breasts by snakes, a motif generally interpreted as symbolizing the punishment of lust. As for the birds pecking at the figure's ears, are they symbols of temptation or slander?" In his work "The Architecture of Romanesque Churches in the Vivarais," Michel Joly suggests that this portal could be the work of the same workshop that created the façade of the abbey church of Saint-Chaffre Monastery, which is not far from Coucouron . Inside the building, one can see a large crucifix, admirably carved in oak, a work of art dated to the 17th century. http://www.patrimoine-ardeche.com
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