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THE ABBEY OF ST MARY

LAGRASSE, FRANCE

IMAGE NUMBER 748b

The Abbey of St. Mary of Lagrasse is a Romanesque Benedictine abbey in Lagrasse, southern France, whose origins date to the 7th century. Lagrasse is a commune in the Aude department in southern France near Carcassonne.  Lagrasse is part of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association ("The most beautiful villages of France").  Lagrasse dates from the time the abbey was built. Permission for the construction was given by Charlemagne in 783.  The two highlights of the village are the Abbey and the bridges, although the narrow medieval streets of the village itself are also very attractive, and remains of the town walls can still be seen. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/15th of a second and at aperture f18. 80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.