I rode into Saujon in the middle of a rainstorm. At about 4 pm the heavens opened and completely drenched me in minutes. The temperature dropped with the rain and I quickly became wet and cold. Fortunately, I found the camping ground quickly and was soon warm, dry and fed.
Saujon lies about ten kilometres from the Gironde estuary in the region known as the Saintonge. It is a small unremarkable town on the river Seudre, a tidal river in which boats lie on their side on muddy river banks for half the day.
The Saintonge contains a large number of small village churches built in the Romanesque period. These churches are, for the most part, well preserved and particularly noted for the quality of their sculpture – well preserved because this region was less affected by destructive episodes in French history, such as the wars of religion and the Revolution. Furthermore, there is limestone of excellent quality in this region that lends itself to sculpting.
The original Romanesque church in Saujon was named after the local saint, Saint Martin, who was a disciple of the famous Saint Martin of Tours, the patron saint of France. This church has disappeared, demolished during the Revolution. However, four magnificent capitals were excavated in 1912 and transferred to the present-day church of Saint John the Baptist. It is likely that they came from the crypt of Saint Martin, which accounts for their remarkable condition. They date from the end of the twelfth century and fortunately are easily visible in their present positions.
Le pèsement des âmes – the weighing of the souls on the Day of Judgement – shows Saint Michael holding the scales. The angel behind the scales is pushing the devil back to prevent him weighing the basket on his side of the scales down and thus claiming a soul. The scene is finely sculpted in great detail: the folds of the angel’s garment, the feathers of its wings, the criss-cross pattern of the rope basket. The beauty and serenity of Saint Michael and the angel contrast with the horror of the devil’s hair and the pustules on his body.
Two other capitals portray scenes of the Resurrection and Daniel in the lion’s den.
The fourth is as carefully sculpted with the same detail as the others, but its subject is debatable. A fisherman, his knee on the ground, is weighed down by the enormous weight of a huge fish. His companion carrying a hoe is helping by lifting the tail of the fish. Biblical scholars suggest the figure may be Tobias, a character in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, who caught a fish in the Tigris River which was trying to swallow his foot. Other scholars think this capital may simply represent a daily activity, as important in this region as growing crops. Both men are very well dressed and wearing shoes. Whatever its significance, it is undoubtedly the work of a master craftsman.
Saujon has reason to be proud of these four capitals which count among the most beautiful sculptures of the Romanesque period.
Sunday 15 September 2013
