Veil – Senryū 2025 –Thursday Doors

Posted bySuzette BenjaminPosted inPoetryTags:
The Royal Monastery of Brou, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, France. Licensed image credit: © Boris Breytman | Dreamstime

love –veil of the heart

personified in stone lace

a vow; its portal

*

*The featured doors; Main entrance, West facade, Brou Monastery, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, France.

Brou Monastery (The Royal Monastery of Brou), was built between 1506 and 1532.

It was commissioned and funded by Duchess Marguerite of Austria to commemorate her beloved late husband, Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, and to fulfill a vow made by her mother-in-law to build a priory (church).

Duchess Marguerite oversaw every detail of Brou Monastery’s construction from hiring the skilled artisans to its design.

The entrance to Brou Monastery is its church: the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. Its facade is carved from white stone with an abundance of flora in lace-like patterns after the fashion of the flamboyant architectural style.

West Entrance Brou Monastery Church, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, France. Licensed image credit:  © Ricochet69 | Dreamstime

The featured doors are wood and painted the same white as the facade–blending in seamlessly. The detailing on the doors is a metal studded wood cross in a square with the pattern repeating throughout.

The tympanum is unique in its presentation of Jesus with his hands bound and wearing a crown of thorns.

Typically seen in altarpieces, this presentation of Jesus depicts the biblical account of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, who presents him to the crowd with the words ‘Ecce Homo‘ (‘Behold the man‘).

Also in the tympanum on either side of Jesus are niches with figures depicting the monastery’s patron Duchess Marguerite of Austria on the right and her husband Philibert II, The Duke of Savoy on Jesus’ left. The other figures are representations of angels.

Trivia #1:

Legend has it that Brou Monastery was mysteriously spared the fate common to some religious buildings during the period of the French Revolution, when for some unknown reason in 1789, an official (some say the Attorney General) declared Brou Monastery protected from destruction, deeming the monastery “property to be preserved at the expense of the nation.”

The monastery continues to be funded in large part including all restorations, by the city and the French state, to this day.

Trivia: #2:

Brou Monastery’s iconic nave roof was restored (1995-1998); its colorful glass tiles were replaced and carefully set in a unique diamond pattern to recapture what was believed to be the roof’s original appearance. An image is below:

Brou Monastery Church, Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, France. Licensed Image credit: © Iakov Filimonov | Dreamstime

Additional Facts:

In 2014, Brou Monastery was voted France’s favorite monument.

The city of Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, is famous for its world-class gastronomy and is the birthplace of famous chefs Jacques Pépin and Georges Blanc.

And for more #ThursdayDoors visit Dan Antion at No Facilities

Ritva Photography

Published by Suzette Benjamin

Positive thinker, inspirational, writer, faith

52 thoughts on “Veil – Senryū 2025 –Thursday Doors”

  4. The doors and the entrance are beautiful, but that roof is amazing! I can’t imagine the work involved in getting the layout of the tiles perfect.

    You poem is beautiful and it drew me into the post wanting to know more about this lovely building and its history.

    I hope you have a great day and weekend, Suzette.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree, Dan, that roof is, in my opinion, surely a labor of love. So many tiny little square tiles to lay down one by one in a pattern!

      I did not mention it in the post, but the roof restoration team researched old letters, the builders’ notes, previous restorers’ comments in the building’s plan margins, and some leftover tile samples they found, fortuitously in the monastery’s attic, to come up with what they believed looked like the original design and colors…Staggering the amount of effort and labor the roof took.

      Thank you for your stalwart support for #ThursdayDoors.

      And have a great day and weekend to you as well. Cheers.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. The Veil of the heart beautifully describes the history of this cathedral.

    The Royal Monastery of Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse, Ain, France, strikes me as a majestic, sacred, and palatial cathedral. Its origins affirm this impression: commissioned and funded by Duchess Marguerite of Austria to honor her beloved late husband, Philibert II, Duke of Savoy, and to fulfill a vow once made by her mother-in-law to build a church.

    The dazzling white façade, carved like lace in stone, carries within its architecture the memory of its muses—Duchess Marguerite and Duke Philibert—immortalized as angelic figures in the tympanum. Even the doors of the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino seem to carry this symbolism. Their white wooden surface and metal handle suggest the imagery of a wedding ring, as though the very act of entering the church echoes the sacrament of marriage.

    Around the monastery, the local gastronomy feels like an extension of this celebration. The food and wine of the region become a living banquet, complementing the story of union, vows, and devotion woven into the stones of Brou.

    Here, royalty, promise, and faith converge. It is a narrative unique in its detail, yet still firmly anchored in the timeless artistic tradition of expressing the Gospel through architecture.

    A truly beautiful story of love, vows, and sacred memory—a perfect offering for Thursday Doors.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your lovely comment reads to me like a beautiful special vesper, like that vesper before a great event.

      In this case, the grand theme of love and marriage, not only marriage in the physical sense, but also the union with the body of Christ as the bride of the church.

      Great insights beautifully shared on the monumental carving of white stonework that made this facade look (to me) like the first/topmost layer of a wedding cake…that part meant to be shared by the bride and groom alone.

      I agree with your point that the message of the gospel, the good news, is written in the great skill and craftwork of the facade’s attention to every detail.

      Thank you for your always brilliant and shining comments, full of rich treasures of discerning wisdom to be explored. Bless you.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Given you evident fascination with and admiration of the glorious old cathedrals, you simply must-read Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth – every week I can see all of this wonderment through the eyes of the craftsmen so brilliantly brought to life in Follett’s text. Gorgeous offering as usual, Suzette.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. “veil of the heart”, perfect words for this amazing structure, Suzette. I can’t imagine the work that went into the roof restoration. Thank you for this lovely share.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Thank you so much, Poet. What a beautiful time spent meditating on these Thursday doors. I’m especially grateful that you highlighted the union with the body of Christ as the bride of the Church—it deepens the meaning of this sacred place.

    And you won’t believe it—I also saw the icing of a wedding cake in the top layer, and the lace of a wedding gown woven into the architecture. So many layers of love, memory, and devotion seem to be stitched into this majestic sanctuary.

    I truly enjoyed your share. Many blessings to you and many more, and may the beauty of such doors continue to open us to joy and reflection.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Lace-like indeed, what delicate details surrounding the door. It does seem strange to me that just because you pay for a monastery, you get a life-sized statue of yourself in such a prominent spot. 😊 Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

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