Lanterne des morts!-never a dull moment

[scruffy1]

Counting the days now before I leave and in a frenzy of planning and preparation when I stumbled accross a something very interesting - the lanterne des morts found in the cemetary at Saint-Agnant-de-Versillat. Always happy to find something new, these towers possessed small slits or windows or openings and allowed the lantern within to mark the position of the cemetary should, God Forbid, the place be needed after dark. I have noted elsewhere that the different Camino routes, both in Spain and in France seem to often pass by the local cemetary and now I read that some historians maintain that these towers were also used to mark the Chemin during the night for pilgrims!

see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterns_of_the_Dead
and here
http://cfpphr.free.fr/lanternedesmorts.htm

 

[gypsy9]

wow. that is certainly an impressive way marker