Mosaics of the Saint-Philibert church

In France, very few mosaics were preserved in place going back to this period. The topics of the calendar and the zodiac, which represents the time of God through the cosmic cycle, that of nature and that of work of the men, illustrated of them others however in XIIème century.

The tesselles ones are cut in limestones of local source, gray-beige pinks or blacks essentially. But one noteaussi some elements of marble, white or bluish, and some fragments of rock of importation very coloured, undoubtedly recovered ancient platings, as well as pieces of ground cute. One can distinguish the successive stages from the work of the mosaïstes, with lines of caesura which mark the various mortars of preparation. Style and technique concern an ancient influence, perhaps relayed by Italian models.

Four medallions, at the south, are well preserved: May, illustrated by a splendid rider, white like its mounting; the sign of the Gemini, represented by two naked characters, accompanied by the entirely preserved inscription “GROUND: IN: GEMINIS”; June, “IUNIUS”, with a reaper, naked chest and feet;

finally, the sign of the cancer formulated by its inscription and an animal with red carapace, with eight legs fourchues. A half medallion appearing July - “… LIV…” for “IULIUS” -, of which remains only half crowns it decorative, is registered at the south-western end of the hemicycle