The Russian Orthodox Chapel - the Door Handles
A beautiful but damaged door handle, the wood, the stonework - everything will need restoration.
With 6 Princes of the Russian royal house buried here, it's fascinating to wonder how many hands - amd whose? - have touched these handles. The one of the left is jammed upright. I tried pulling it down so it swung loose to match the other, but it wouldn't budge.
An interesting question ... and I suspect one that few of us stop to consider as we enter historic buildings like this. Many more than can be counted, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteEnticing...I always think of things like this when I climb, for example, Notre-dame. I like to try to touch some place on the winding staircase that I think no one has touched for centuries...that's hard to do.
ReplyDeletebonne question ;o))
ReplyDeleteWD40 might be the answer to the jammed handle.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your other question is quite mind-boggling.
I thought the same as I climbed to the women's section in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. I imagined the slippered feet, so many slippered feet that the floor had a dip in it.
ReplyDeleteAh, how wonderful to see and feel objects that lift our imaginations to another plane. Altho these handles may need restoration, they have an aura of ancient beauty about them.
ReplyDelete"it woudn't budge" That's disobedient Russian temperament !
ReplyDeleteWell, restoration will be done...certainly. Menton town council has to worry about the living at this moment. Too bad because it makes part of the town History, according me.
Better wait for private founds or subscription.
In seeing this and your other photos of the dome, I keep thinking of the reason so many Russian princes are buried here rather than in their homeland...and of course, of the story of Anastasia..
ReplyDeleteI would not guess that there is a Russian Orthodox church in Menton, much less deceased royalty. The climate beats St. Petersburg, though, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteAn excellent detail. I missed this before, but I'm going to post some handles tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous image, jilly, made even more so by your story.
ReplyDelete