Limoux, the town featured in today’s post, is in France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The town is split in two by the Aude river.
Limoux is home to Saint-Martin church, a magnificent monument with some beautiful gargoyles. The town grew around the church, which was built in the 12th century, although a series of changes were made to it in the 14th and 15th centuries. The tower was rebuilt in the 18th century after being destroyed by lightning, and restoration work was also carried out in the 19th century.
The gargoyles
The gargoyles are lovely, quite slender and stylised. Many of them have been damaged, with cracks showing the stonework and broken or missing parts and limbs. But even in spite of this, they are all superb gargoyles and their worn appearance doesn’t spoil our appreciation of them. When you walk round the outside of the church you can still enjoy looking at them.
Their length makes them look as if they’re about to take flight and their leanness gives them an elegant appearance. The gargoyles of Saint-Martin are very expressive and are skilfully carved, as you can see from the detail in some of their faces and in things like plumage and the lion’s mane.
The iconography is also excellent. Although there aren’t many of them (barely twenty or so) you can spot a wide variety of types: winged quadrupeds, demons, animals like a dog, a lion and an ape, as well as fantastic anthropomorphs.
We invite you to take a look at the gargoyles of Saint-Martin de Limoux, yet another example of how you don’t only find gargoyles in big cities and major capitals; in any small town or village where you stop you can find a church or civic building with marvellous gargoyles that deserve to be admired.
Winged quadrupeds
Demons
Animals
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- Lion
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- Lion (detail)
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- Dog
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- Dog
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- Ape
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- Ape (detail)
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- Dog
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- Dog
Anthropomorphs
Doctor of Art History and researcher specializing in the study of gargoyles.
I am Dolores Herrero Ferrio, and my thesis, “An Approach to the Study of Gargoyles of Gothic Cathedrals in Castilla and León”, is dedicated to the study of these fascinating figures.
If you like gargoyles and art history, you will also enjoy my book, “The Gargoyle and Its Iconography,” a book I have written with great care for those interested in the world of gargoyles.
I have created my own Encyclopedia of Gargoyles, a Gargopedia to share with you, where you will discover all the secrets and wonders of these enigmatic sculptures.
I hope you enjoy this Gargopedia as much as I have enjoyed creating it, and remember that each gargoyle has a story to tell, and here you will discover them all.
