Before the Heat and the Crowds: Minerve’s Dove of Light

Setting off in the cool 25 degree morning air, we made tracks for the cliffside stronghold of Minerve. It's stunning - a place where history and architecture cling to the limestone gorges. Over 30,000 years of human occupation!

While the village's 93 residents can drive across the spectacular 1903 viaduct, the rest of us park on the heights above and walk in. It’s a spectacular approach, fab for photos.

 

We walk down from the upper parking lot and cross into Minerve, past the stark, towering remnants of the Candela (the Candle) a remnant of the13th century medieval castle. As we stoll along the ramparts we  find out about the Cathars. It's hard to imagine living through the brutal seven-week siege in 1210. The replicas of the trebuchets which catapulted massive stones are just across the gorge.  Terrifying.

Imagine having to choose - to surrender and face a torturous death or to accept Catholicism and face hell for eternity!!! Surender they did! They burnt over 400 people  at the stake.... horrendous!

Today though it is tranquil and beautiful.  The streets are deserted and we can explore to our hearts content. The museum is open and we explore stone and bronze artifacts.  At 10.00 the cafe opens. A trickle of people start to arrive.  The temperature rises.

We settle down next to the 11th-century Église Saint-Étienne and spend half an hour in the shade sketching.  

I notice a flower planter, with inscriptions.  I later find out that it's an ancient, deeply weathered sarcophagus or baptismal vat carved with a naive Romanesque relief that details the biblical story of Genesis and the Original Sin.

Reading the relief from left to right,..

The Gates of Eden : The heavy, bricked wall with a defined arched doorway represents the locked entrance to the Garden of Eden or the heavenly city.

Life in Paradise: Moving inward, figures are shown under stylized trees, representing the initial innocence of Adam and Eve.

The Temptation: In the middle, you can see the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with the serpent distinctively coiled around its trunk, tempting Adam and Eve.

The Expulsion & Labor: To the right of the tree, the figures are shown facing the consequences of their actions clothed or covering themselves, with the final figure on the far right holding a tool, most likely representing Adam being condemned to labor and till the earth after being cast out.

Next ti the trough is the Cathar Monument, erected in 1982. It's also known as the Colombe de lumière (Dove of Light) because of the way the sun shines directly though the bird.

By now the temperature has risen to high 30's and its not going to stop there! The trickle of people has now become a constant stream.  Time for us to leave for the cool of Erin's place.

Back in Trausse there is great activity as the village prepares for Bar a Vin a fundraiser for the local school. We'll check it out tomorrow night!