World Heritage Photos

Melle is a small town in France, located on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. Melle is home to three Romanesque churches, the most important of them is the Saint Hilaire Church. The church was built in the late 11th and the early 12th centuries. The Saint Hilaire is a hall church. In hall churches, the nave and side aisles are nearly of equal height and width, the immense roof is supported by tall columns. The construction of Hall churches originated in the Late Romanesque period but it reach its height in the Gothic period. The Saint Hilaire Church is renowned for its huge number of magnificent Romanesque sculptures on the outside and the inside walls, one of the most celebrated sculptures is the statue of a enigmatic horseman above the north entrance door. The unique Romanesque church survived the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion almost intact. Melle is located about 200 km north of Bordeaux. The Saint Hilaire Church is classified as a French Monument Historique, a historic monument. The Saint Hilaire Church in Melle was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998 as a part of the World Heritage Site Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. 

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The statue of the horseman is the subject of intense discussions among art historians, the horseman has been identified as Charlemagne, but also as Emperor Constantine I, the first Roman emperor to confess Christianity, triumphing over paganism and also as Jesus Christ violating the Old Testament Law.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: Since 2011, a modern marble chancel adorns the transept, it was designed by the French architect, artist and designer Mathieu Lehanneur. The design refers to a rock formation beneath the church. The marble layers and alabaster altar harmonize excellent with the sandstone of the original Romanesque church.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The vaulted ceiling above the chancel. The Saint Hilaire Church is a masterpiece of the Poitiers Romanesque Style, a style that developed around Poitiers in France. The village of Melle is also home to the Romanesque churches of Saint Savinien and Saint Pierre, together with the Saint Hilaire, they form the Romanesque triad of Melle. 

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The impressive barrel vault of the nave. The Saint Hilaire Church was built at the end of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th century. The church is a Romanesque hall church, but the nave is much wider than the two aisles, which is quite unusual in hall churches. The immense roof is supported by tall columns.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The capitals of the columns depict scenes of daily life, among them a wild boar hunting scene, sculpted leaves, strange animals and other ornamental scenes. In the middle ages, the church was ofted visited by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Today, it is still a popular stop for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela.

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   The Saint Hilaire Church in Melle is dedicated to Hilarius of Poitiers, who was born in 315 AD. He was a bisshop and one of the most important theologians of his time. The church is still used for Sunday services. The church is situated just south of the centre of Melle, a small town southwest of Poitiers in the Poitou-Charentes region in France.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The sculpture above the north entrance portal depicts a crowned horseman whose horse tramples a half seated figure wearing a long robe, the half seated figure would represent the Old Testament Law or paganism. The Romanesque Saint Hilaire Church in Melle was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The decorations on the doorposts of the south entrance door. The church is notable for the large amount of sculptures on the interior and exterior walls. Among them a sculpture of the scallop shell, the iconic symbol of the Route of Santiago de Compostela, also known as the Way of St. James. The scallop shell is also known as the shell of Saint James.

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   Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The decorations on the doorposts of the north entrance door. The church is adorned with numerous Romanesque sculptures, especially on the outside walls. The Saint Hilaire survived the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between England and France and the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598) almost intact. 

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    Saint Hilaire Church in Melle: The chapels at the rear of the church. The imposing Romanesque hall church was built on the site of an earlier church. The church was built in two stages, on the banks of the river Béronne. During the Middle Ages, the town of Melle was an important centre of minting, thanks to the surrounding lead and silver mines. The silver mines can be visited.