3 minute read
Cloistered Calm - peaceful contemplation
Throughout many centuries of peace and occasional turmoil the medieval abbeys of France have sought to preserve the air of solace which those who built them originally intended. Conceived as places for peaceful contemplation, many have been lost along the way, but several hundred abbeys are still with us and fulfilling their intended role, so here’s a selection of some of the more interesting sites which we can now visit around our region.
BASSAC (16)
Romanesque meets Gothic in the ancient abbey church
© Living Magazine / Roger Moss
This largely 11th-13th century Benedictine abbey was founded in 1002 by the first Lord of Jarnac and his wife, who were buried here, and consecrated around 1015 by the Bishops of Angoulême and Saintes. It was attacked by Anglo-Gascon troops in 1434 during the Hundred Years War, pillaged by Protestants in 1564, relegated to become a parish church during the Revolution and received Monument Historique listing in 1880. You can discover its harmonious blend of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles either unaccompanied or during a 1 hour guided tour.
BRANTOME (24)
Climb the oldest campanile in all France, then discover the ancient caverns behind the site
© Living Magazine / Roger Moss
Brantôme’s vast Benedictine abbey was founded on the banks of the River Dronne in AD769 and became a pilgrimage destination when Charlemagne donated relics of Saint Sicaire, one of the innocents massacred by Herod. Later Brantôme was attacked by Viking raiders, so the monks retreated to ancient caves behind the abbey. During the 11th century they provided limestone to enlarge the abbey and accommodate the increasing numbers of pilgrims bound for Santiago de Compostela. Today tourist office guided tours reveal the 15th century abbey-église interior (still with the precious relics brought by Charlemagne) and enables visitors to climb the oldest campanile in all France for overviews of the abbey, the town rooftops and beyond them the ancient forests of northern Dordogne. Details: www.perigord-dronne-belle.fr
CADOUIN (24)
The sparsely-decorated exterior gives few hints of what lies within
Behind the vast timeworn western façade lies a Romanesque/Gothic abbey church consecrated in 1154 before becoming a Cistercian monastery. The interior is relatively austere, apart from some vibrant stained glass and foliated capitals, but the adjoining cloisters are spectacular, with frescoes, flamboyant Gothic tracery and vaulting plus another curiosity. For centuries pilgrims came to view a shroud said to bear the impression of the head of Christ. The visits ceased in 1936, after the shroud was finally dated conclusively to around 1100. It has recently undergone restoration, but a facsimile is displayed instead. Details: abbaye-de-cadouin.com
LA RÉAU (86)
The former Augustinian abbey complex, founded during the 12th century near Saint-Martin-l’Ars
© Living Magazine / Roger Moss
The former Abbaye-Royale Notre-Dame de La Réau stands in a remote, peaceful setting beside the River Clain in the ancient province of Haut-Poitou. Signs of hasty fortifications around the site survive to tell of attacks by English forces during the Hundred Years War in 1372. The largely 17th century monastic buildings have been preserved and the atmospheric interiors reopened to visitors. Details: abbayeroyaledelareau.com
SAINT-SAVIN-SUR- GARTEMPE (86)
The slender 78m spire rises from a site founded on the riverbank in 800
© Living Magazine / Roger Moss
The monastic site was founded in 800 with patronage from Charlemagne. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the vaults of the 17m-high interior are adorned with 460 square metres of vibrant 11th - 12th century frescoes, and there are more in the crypt. The exterior is equally impressive and crowned with a slender Gothic spire rising 78m above the leafy banks of the River Gartempe. Details: www.abbaye-saint-savin.fr
Abbeys, Monasteries & Priories...
In simple terms, an abbey is the seat of a religious community presided over by an abbot. Most influential was the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded in 910 by Duke William I of Aquitaine, and which rose to become the most important religious and financial institution in France. A monastery is home to a community which maintains a strict ‘ascetic’ regime of austere self-denial and rigorous religious devotion. Its devotees are typically monks, who can again be headed by an abbot. The first priories were established as outlying subsidiaries of the Abbey of Cluny. In time priories might contain communities of Augustinian, Benedictine, Carmelite, Cistercian, Dominican, Trappist and other friars or nuns.
