Connection to the Middle Ages

The place where I felt most connected to the Middle Ages was the small church at Vals. It was a very simple church, built between the rocks. Yet, I was so connected to the spot because I could tell it was so ancient. I could also tell its historical significance and what it actually looked like because it had hardly been touched since its birth.

The paintings inside were very minimal and there was hardly any stained glass. It was just a very small church with a very powerful message. Although I enjoyed most of the other cathedrals with their high arches and beautiful architecture, the Church at Vals was the most impressive to me because of its long history and the story of its creation. Because we only had a short amount of time in the Church before we had to go to lunch, I found more information on the church here: http://www.ariege.com/patrimoine/eglisedevals/info.html

The site claims that there is an argument over what the Church at Vals was used for previously. Some argue that part of the church was used as a habitat, while other archeologists argue that it was used as a religious site before Roman times. The site also claims there are "remains of a 10th century edifice built, with an evident sense of theatre, by the first Christians in the area."

Although the church would have been painted in brilliant colors, some of the coloring still remains in the church. It is beautiful, yet simple work. The religious meaning, although not as extravagant as other churches, is clear upon walking up the steps and viewing the masterful work on the ceilings.

There was a lot of the church that we could explore. The area wasn't as constricted and blocked off as some of the other churches were. In a way, the free range we were given helped me better connect to the area. We were able to walk onto the balcony area and view some of the ruins bellow. It gave me a clear picture of what the area would have looked like in the Middle Ages. Even though there were fences around the areas, one could see how untouched it was and how well-preserved it remained.