David and Goliath — Vengeance in Stone (Vézelay, France)

David and Goliath, Romanesque capital (12th c.), Basilica of Sainte-Madeleine, Vézelay, France. David, standing on foliage, uses Goliath’s own sword to behead the giant. Goliath falls backward, still armored.

High among the capitals of the Basilica of Sainte-Madeleine in Vézelay, a violent and vivid drama unfolds in limestone: the biblical clash between David and Goliath, captured at its blood-soaked peak. (I Samuel 17:48–51)

The capital tells its story in two acts. On the side (a modern reconstruction), we glimpse the moment before the climax: young David raises his sling, ready to face the Philistine warrior. But it’s the front face of the capital that delivers the blow.

Here, the drama bursts into action. The small, clean-shaven David — nimble and determined — stands balanced on what may be stylized foliage. With one foot he pushes the giant back, while with both hands he lifts an enormous sword and brings it down on Goliath’s neck. The giant is mid-fall, his arms flailing, his bulky frame dressed in heavy chainmail and a conical helmet. A stone — the one from David’s sling — remains lodged in his forehead. From Goliath’s belt hangs an empty scabbard. It is his own sword, now wielded by his young killer.

The sculptor doesn’t give us a passive victory. He gives us movement, tension, and theological weight. David is not merely triumphant; he is chosen, active, righteous. Goliath is not just big — he is blind to the deeper power at work.

Vézelay’s basilica is best known for its monumental tympanum and pilgrimage history, but capitals like this one reward slower, closer looking. They reveal a world where every gesture is meaningful, every figure purposeful — and where even the coldest stone can cry out the clash of faith and force.

Moses and the Golden Calf, Vézelay (France).

The Basilica of Sainte-Madeleine in Vézelay, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, is home to some of the most stunning sculptures of the medieval period. Among its many remarkable features is the Nave Capital Salet Number 56, an intricately carved capital dating between 1120 and 1138. This particular sculpture depicts the dramatic Old Testament story of Moses and the Golden Calf, a powerful scene from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 32:15-19).

In the story, the Israelites, growing impatient during Moses’ prolonged absence on Mount Sinai, create a golden idol in the form of a calf and begin to worship it. When Moses returns with the Ten Commandments, he finds the people in the throes of idolatry. Furious, he smashes the tablets and condemns their sinful behavior. This pivotal moment is beautifully captured in the capital’s sculpture, where Moses is shown confronting the Golden Calf, a symbol of disobedience and moral corruption. The calf is depicted with a demon perched atop it, signifying the malevolent influence leading the Israelites astray.

Exodus 32: 15-19:

Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.” Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

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.

Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene, Vézelay (France)

Vézelay is a particularly historic place in Burgundy, France. Its significance stems from the Benedictine monastery founded there in the 9th century.

Right from the beginning of its existence, the site became important because it was claimed that the bones of Mary Magdalene were found there. This quickly turned the village into an important pilgrimage site and transformed the village into a town. The location also became an important starting point for the Camino de Santiago.

Around 1120, after a massive fire in which more than 1000 pilgrims perished, construction of the current basilica started.

In 1146, Vézelay briefly became the center of the World. Pope Eugene III had asked abbot Bernard of Clairvaux to call for the second crusade to the Holy Land on Easter Sunday. Louis VII (King of France), and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine were there as well and supported the abbot.

In the 13th century, interest in Vézelay diminished considerably. The Catholic Church no longer embraced it as the place where Mary Magdalene was buried. This resulted in a decreasing flow of pilgrims. Over the centuries, Vézelay has retained its role as a starting point for the Camino to Santiago de Compostela.