Camino Photo of the Day: the Medieval Altar

This is the altar in the little village church of Saint Martin de Golinhac. It’s clearly old. Does it date back to days when this was a priory church in the High Middle Ages? Or is it older still, perhaps dating to the foundation of the church in the 10th century? The pedestal was obviously replaced at some point, as it looks much newer than the top. And it has certainly been moved farther from the wall – even in this photo you can somewhat see the gap where it used to be. I note with some interest that this medieval altar has all of the things we still associate with a Catholic altar today: the little plug containing the relics of a saint and the five incised crosses representing the wounds of Christ. Interestingly, it’s somewhat concave. Is this to help prevent the spilling of the Precious Blood onto the floor in the event of an accident? Or is it a purely stylistic choice?

Date: 26 August 2023
Place: Golinhac, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France

Maps!