Labor of the months

This capital on the well-house is supported by four columns and thus belongs to the type generally found at the corners of the cloister and of the well-house. Twelve individual figures of equal size, representing the months of the year, are arranged around the sides of the capital. Each is headed by an inscription engraved on the impost block above, which, from those that can still be made out, names the corresponding month below. The months are either personified or symbolized by an activity representative of them.

The cycle begins on the southeast corner with March – the month that initiates the agricultural year – which is represented by a figure of marzo pazzo, a wind god who blows a horn and refers to Carnival. April, with a flowering plant, and May, driving a grazing horse, follow on the eastern side. On the next corner is a figure that portrays June, but its poor state of conservation makes its representative activity impossible to identify. The northern side shows a harvester for July and a cooper for August. On the corner to the western side stands a vintner for September, above whom the letters P / TEMBER appear on the impost block. The month of October—OCTUBER—is represented by sowing. The figure for November gathers acorns, while on the southern side December—N BER—is shown slaughtering a pig. Finally, January—GENAIUS—warms himself by a fire and February—FEBRU AR S—prunes a tree.

These monthly tasks belong to an iconographic program that is common both in Italy and in France, especially on Romanesque portals.

month year marzo-pazzo FEBRVAR GENAIUS OCTVBER SEPTEMBER labor inscription France February tree fire wind January pig December gather sowing slaughtering acorn November October vintner September July August harvester cooper June horse May April Carnival wind-god spring March well-house