Sunday, September 27, 2015

Photos of the Pont du Diable and St. Guilhem-le-Desert

Pont du Diable (the "Devil's Bridge") is one of the oldest Romanesque bridges in France.  It was built in the first half of the 11th century (and has subsequently been widened and raised). It owes its name to an old legend, according to which, the devil agreed to help build the bridge, granted that he would be given the first soul to cross it. After the bridge was built a monk came with a dog, and it was the first to walk across.



Another bridge over the gorge.



The Abbey of St. Guilhem-le-Desert and the surrounding village.


In the cloister.
(An American took all of the abbey's decorations and they are now in the  Cloisters in NYC.)
A typical street scene



The Cardabelle: a medieval weather forecaster. The heart of the thistle closes up in advance of rain.
It is a good luck symbol, and is protected as an endangered species.

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