Column from San Paio de Antealtares

Marble column shaft with haut-relief carvings of three apostles, Peter, Andrew and Paul, identified by the titular inscriptions incised on their respective haloes: PETRVS, ANDREAS, PAVLVS. The Romanesque tradition of representing apostles on columns can be traced back to the New Testament, where the apostles are described as pillars of the church (Galatians 2:9). This type of anthropomorphic column was used in many sculpted works of that period, imbuing the stone supports with a highly symbolic message.
Stylistically, it is associated with French models of representation, particularly in the Languedoc region. The columns were probably polychromed, and the eyes still have large recesses for inserting vitreous paste, a blend of colour and gloss that would have made the original images seem incredibly lifelike.