Sculpture on the arch surmounting the portal of the Church of Saint-Lazare, Avallon, Bourgogne, France. The Romanesque building, established in the XII century, shows on the portal a series of sculpted medallions representing the Zodiac signs, among which the Bull. The astronomical meaning of the animal contributes to the maintenance of its symbolic value, being the indicator of the Spring months (April-May). Christianity has added a specific meaning, appointing it as symbol of the evangelist Luke. The Christian world inherited the zodiacal symbolism of Antiquity, which in its turn had imported in the West an astrologic al system developed in Mesopotamia. Though many Christian texts were bitterly opposed to astrology, the iconography of churches and cathedrals has rapidly taken possession of the repertory of images linked to the constellations, primarily as a way to represent the periods of the calendar and the passing of the seasons, strictly associated with the agricultural works.

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