The sacred heart of cities... By Sylvain

This picture was taken in Barcelona, during a beautiful day in April. The church overwhelmed me by its sheer size. The three towers were like kings and queens. I got the impression the place contained dreadful secrets. I was fascinated and frightened at the same time. This brick and stone building is the most iconic monument of the city; it testifies to its past magnificence.

  

This photo was also taken during my trip to Spain. This tower reminds me of the “Tour De l’Horloge” in Riom. When I was at the bottom of the tower, I decided to climb the stairs slowly, one step at a time, in order to see the city from every vantage point. At the end of the day, on our way to the hostel, I recalled the breathtaking view of Barcelona from the top of the tower: I could see the Sagrada Família, which is the great basilica of Barcelona.

Here is another picture of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The basilica rises majestically towards the sky, trying to reach the stars. This construction built in the rock seems to have been built by giants of a bygone Age. From here, the basilica seems to protect the city and its inhabitants. When I was below it, I saw small pieces of stones falling near me like rain; it is the price to pay to see this building up close...

This photo of Saint-Amable in Riom was taken on the 10^th of May 2017. This church has a dark hidden history. In the 17^th century, a group of ten members of the clergy would go to the church together on a daily basis to attend a mysterious ceremony. Other members of the clergy were not allowed to take part and people would hear strange noises coming from inside the church… One day, a little boy went to fetch his ball inside the church whilst the ceremony was taking place; he was never heard of again and the main doors have remained closed ever since…

This photo was taken in the village of “La Moutade”, on the 14^th of May 2017. A legend says that in the medieval period, when the village was built, the people wanted to start by building a church that would be the centre of the village. They found a cat with her kittens under the pile of rocks they were going to use to start building the church. The rocks collapsed on the cats. The kittens all died.  The church is still haunted by the cat looking for her kittens.