_At the end of the village, on the right, near the Calvary and skirting the wall of the last house, there is a military cemetery. Take, on the left, the narrow road to_ =Fort Paroches.= Around the fort are numerous defence works and the graves of French soldiers. =Paroches Fort=, built to protect the approaches to Spada Pass, which Troyon Fort defended on the north, is an old masonry fort. Visit the shelters, inner works in concrete. [Illustration: ENTRANCE TO PAROCHES FORT] From the summit there is a fine sweeping view (_panorama above_) over the [Illustration: THE PLACE DES HALLES, ST. MIHIEL] battlefield, the Valley of the Meuse, St. Mihiel, the “Camp-des-Romains” Fort (p. 65), Versel Wood and Spada Pass. _Return to St. Mihiel by the same road as far as the temporary bridge over the Meuse and the Place du Manège._ _From the Place du Manège, take, on the right, the Rue du Saulcy, which leads to the Place des Halles._ _To the right, on reaching the “Place,” is the Rue du Pont, which leads to the_ ruined bridge. _Turn to the left, cross the “Place,” and take the Rue Notre-Dame on the right._ _At No. 1 of this street is a 15th century house with a polygonal turret._ Opposite at No. 2 is a 14th–15th century house, known locally as the “Maison du Roi.” [Illustration: THE MAISON DU ROI] [Illustration: THE PLACE DU COLLÈGE AND CHURCH OF ST. MICHEL] _Follow the Rue des Carmes, which is a continuation of the Rue Notre-Dame, then the Place des Regrets to the Place du Collège._ _On the left stands the_ =Church of St. Michel.= This 17th century church is recognisable by its old Romanesque tower, which forms a vestibule in front of the building. It has three naves with side chapels divided into five bays by fluted columns. Note the =fine organ= (_photo, p. 68_), the pipes of which were removed by the Germans. In the Chapel of the Baptismal Fonts is a stone Cupid holding skulls. [Illustration: THE SACRISTY, CHURCH OF ST. MICHEL _As the Germans left it._] The Church of St. Michel contains one of the finest of Ligier Richier’s works, known as “_The Swoon_,” or “_The Fainting Virgin_.” It stands to the right of the choir in a chapel with a door. [Illustration: THE ORGAN, CHURCH OF ST. MICHEL] In the Middle Ages it was customary to represent the Virgin standing in contemplation of the wounds of her Divine Son, as described in the famous chant, _Stabat Mater Dolorosa_. In the 15th century, on the contrary, the Virgin was generally represented as described in the Gospel of Nicodemus. In Richier’s group we see the Virgin, supported by St. John, fainting at the foot of the Cross. The extreme simplicity of the work renders it most pathetic. [Illustration: THE HÔTEL DE LA DIVISION AND CHEVET OF ST. MICHEL CHURCH]