Church of San Martín (Frómista, Spain)

In Frómista's heart, a timeless tale unfolds,
Where French Way's pilgrims wander, young and old.
Since twelfth century's dawn, it stands in pride,
In Calixtino Codex, its name doth abide.

From humble monastery, Frómista's soul arose,
Born of Sancho's widow, in tranquil repose.
A beacon of faith, in Castilla's embrace,
San Martín's legacy, a sacred grace.

For decades, craftsmen toiled with care,
Building Romanesque beauty, beyond compare.
In nineteen hundred's dawn, a restoration divine,
Preserved its splendor, for all time.

San Martín de Frómista, a jewel of old,
With walls that whisper tales, untold.
In its hallowed halls, echoes of the past,
Speak of pilgrims' journeys, that forever last.

Oh, San Martín, your beauty transcends,
A testament to faith, that never ends.
From humble beginnings, to grandeur untold,
In Fromista's heart, your story unfolds.

So let us raise our voices high,
In praise of San Martín, reaching the sky.
For in its walls, history's echo rings,
A timeless tribute, to sacred things.

The Mystic Mill, Vézelay (France)

In the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene in Vézelay, many column capitals are decorated with depictions of Christian stories. The representation shown in this picture visualizes the story of the Mystic Mill. It depicts two figures. One pours grain into a mill, and the other collects the processed flour in a bag. The image is unique in Romanesque sculpture and does not seem to depict any known biblical story. However, a stained glass window in the Abbey of Saint-Denis (France), created around 1140, identifies the figures in this representation as Moses and Saint Paul. This identification helps understand the image as an allegory of the transformation of the Old Laws from the Old Testament to the New Laws of the New Testament. The cross within the mill-wheel symbolizes the transformation process of the mill and Christ's journey to the cross.