Bluette Matthey's Blog - Posts Tagged "languedoc-roussillon"
Tales of Beziers
Every town has a story to tell.
Because Béziers, France, is so old (second oldest city in France, after Marseille), it has quite a few tales that define its history. My favorite Béziers legend is that of Saint Aphrodise who rode into town on his camel from Egypt around 65 AD.
Just around the corner from the ancient Roman amphitheater, which was mostly torn down in the 3rd century so the citizens could use the stones to build up the city’s defense …. that’s another story… is a small plaza, Place Saint-Cyr, at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue Canterelles. You might notice the small brass caps on the pavement that say ‘Chemin Romeux’. This was part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, but I digress.
Look Up! See that headless stone figure on the corner of the building? That is Saint Aphrodise. Why is he there, you ask?
Because, he was beheaded in the square where you are standing, and his head tossed in a well nearby. Not one to give up easily, the good saint fetched his head from the well and proceeded to carry it back to his cave on the outskirts of town. He is known as a cephalophore, a subset of saints who carry their heads after martyrdom.
Passing down what is now the Rue des Têtes, the Street of Heads, he was mocked by a group of stone masons who were turned to stone when Aphrodise stared them down (you can’t make this up!) with the head cradled in his arms.
It all ended well, with Saint Aphrodise being venerated in his tomb which is now a basilica where his relics repose, and his camel became a celebrity with the rich folks in town vying to take care of him. A dubious replica of said camel appears each April on the saint’s day to be paraded through town as part of the celebration.
Oh, by the way, that lovely old church, Église de la Madeleine that you passed a few streets back brings another story to mind. In 1209 Pope Innocent III (who was not innocent) sent his henchman to Béziers to rout out the Cathars …. You get the idea, right?
See you in Beziers!
Bluette Matthey
bluettematthey.com
Because Béziers, France, is so old (second oldest city in France, after Marseille), it has quite a few tales that define its history. My favorite Béziers legend is that of Saint Aphrodise who rode into town on his camel from Egypt around 65 AD.
Just around the corner from the ancient Roman amphitheater, which was mostly torn down in the 3rd century so the citizens could use the stones to build up the city’s defense …. that’s another story… is a small plaza, Place Saint-Cyr, at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue Canterelles. You might notice the small brass caps on the pavement that say ‘Chemin Romeux’. This was part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, but I digress.
Look Up! See that headless stone figure on the corner of the building? That is Saint Aphrodise. Why is he there, you ask?
Because, he was beheaded in the square where you are standing, and his head tossed in a well nearby. Not one to give up easily, the good saint fetched his head from the well and proceeded to carry it back to his cave on the outskirts of town. He is known as a cephalophore, a subset of saints who carry their heads after martyrdom.
Passing down what is now the Rue des Têtes, the Street of Heads, he was mocked by a group of stone masons who were turned to stone when Aphrodise stared them down (you can’t make this up!) with the head cradled in his arms.
It all ended well, with Saint Aphrodise being venerated in his tomb which is now a basilica where his relics repose, and his camel became a celebrity with the rich folks in town vying to take care of him. A dubious replica of said camel appears each April on the saint’s day to be paraded through town as part of the celebration.
Oh, by the way, that lovely old church, Église de la Madeleine that you passed a few streets back brings another story to mind. In 1209 Pope Innocent III (who was not innocent) sent his henchman to Béziers to rout out the Cathars …. You get the idea, right?
See you in Beziers!
Bluette Matthey
bluettematthey.com
