Avranches is geographically positioned on top of a rise of land that overlooks the ocean and the land around it. It has been inhabited since the time of the Romans with the Vikings invading and taking over between 907 and 937. As with so many of these historical locations we have visited...at the highest point...fortress walls still exist.
I love how the ancient structures are kept and incorporated into our modern world!
This town is adorable...flowers everywhere!
More flowers.
Another flower I have never seen before and found so pretty! I think it's an annual of some kind. The flower buds are a dark purple color and the flower petals are orange...so striking. I saw it in a yellow variety too.
Avranches has three beautiful churches. Saint-Gervais Basilica peaks from this alley.
This church boasts a collection of religious relics, the most important is the skull of Saint Aubert.
Maybe you can see the hole in the skull...that's where the Archangel Michael, pierced Aubert's skull with the vision to start the construction of Mont Saint-Michel. (I posted a photo of this island structure a couple of weeks ago...it's on our list to visit in-depth one day.)
As we made our way to through the streets of the town, we looked back to see three churches. Saint Gervais is the one farthest away.
The church in the forefront is Notre Dame des Champs. Yes...I took this picture! The weather was spectacular!
Inside was a photo of what the church looked like after it was bombed in WW II.
I think the photo below is the opposite side of the photo above.
This church is fairly new... constructed in the 19th century in the Gothic Revival style. I am guessing it had beautiful colored glass windows originally that were destroyed in the bombing. When that happened to many of the churches in Europe during WW II, the windows were usually replaced with clear glass due to the expense.
The next day we visited Granville...more about our day there tomorrow.
Great pictures! I love that the governments rebuilt so many old buildings after WWII. Sometimes I would like to step back in time and see what some of the cities looked like before the war.
ReplyDeletePS - I noticed in your profile that you're from Eagle River. The parents of a childhood friend lived in Eagle River for several years before recently moving to Florida. Small world, right? ;-)
what beautiful buildings -old churches are some of the most beautiful building to see - so much work went into them
ReplyDeleteI knew the flowers would eventually come out!
Those are gorgeous photos. They remind me of post card types, especially the one of the church with the intense blue sky behind it. It's lovely to share your trips, and see it second hand.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous buildings and flower beds! Living in a snowless part of the world, I find it fascinating how your photos can go from such wintery snowy vistas, to wonderful full on spring ones...
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