The Abbey of Saint-Seine (french: Abbaye de Saint-Seine) is a former

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

located in

Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is also a place steeped in history with its archaeological sites, the goddess Sequana; nymph Sources close to the Seine and Alesia, the remnants of its ancien ...

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

, France. During the Middle Ages it was a wealthy and powerful institution. It was suppressed at the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

History

The abbey took its name from Sigo, a monk from the at

Moutiers-Saint-Jean Moutiers-Saint-Jean () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is named after the monastery of Saint John of Réôme. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 c ...

. Sigo, a son of the Count of Mesmont, withdrew from the world into the heart of the forest of Cestres on his family lands, in the territory of the present commune of Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye. His sanctity attracted followers, and eventually the community became a monastery, known at first as the Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Cestres, or Cestres Abbey. In time, the town of Saint-Seine(-l'Abbaye) grew up round the monastery. After Sigo's death in 581, his name gradually changed to "Soigne", then "Seigne", and finally "Saint Seine", apparently under the influence of the nearby sources of the

River Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

. In the 8th century the great reformer Saint

Benedict of Aniane Benedict of Aniane ( la, Benedictus Anianensis; german: Benedikt von Aniane; 747 – 12 February 821 AD), born Witiza and called the Second Benedict, was a Benedictine monk and monastic reformer, who left a large imprint on the religious prac ...

made his profession and became a monk at Saint-Seine. He practised a rigorous

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

and studied the various monastic rules then in use, including the Rules of

Saint Pachomius Pachomius (; el, Παχώμιος ''Pakhomios''; ; c. 292 – 9 May 348 AD), also known as Saint Pachomius the Great, is generally recognized as the founder of Christian cenobitic monasticism. Coptic churches celebrate his feast day on 9 May, ...

Saint Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Cae ...

and

Saint Columbanus Columbanus ( ga, Columbán; 543 – 21 November 615) was an Hiberno-Scottish mission, Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monastery, monasteries after 590 in the Franks, Frankish and Lombards, Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeu ...

. He became the abbey's

cellarer A cellarium (from the Latin ''cella'', "pantry"), also known as an ''undercroft'', was a storehouse or storeroom, usually in a medieval monastery or castle. In English monasteries, it was usually located in or under the buildings on the west range ...

. In about 780 the community elected him abbot, but against his will, and he fled to

Aniane Aniane (; oc, Aniana) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population See also * Benedict of Aniane * Pont du Diable, Hérault * Mas de Daumas Gassac *Communes of the Hérault department The ...

, near

Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...

Architecture

Church

The abbey church was built in 1225 by the Abbot Olivier, but destroyed by fire in 1255. The buildings were not reconstructed until the 14th and 15th centuries by the abbots Jean de Blaisy and Pierre de Fontenette. The

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

church is almost all that survives of the abbey buildings. The nave consists of four bays, with side chapels. The west front, comprising a porch between two towers, is of the 15th century, as are the 22 frescoes in the choir depicting the life of Saint Seine, while the choir stalls are of the 18th century. The church was listed as a ''

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

'' in 1862.

Cloister

A new cloister was built in 1475 under the abbot Pierre de Fontenette to harmonise with the other conventual buildings.Charles-Joseph Lejolivet, ''Inventaire général du patrimoine sur l'ancienne abbaye actuellement maison d'enfants à Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye''.

Gallery

File:Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye nef.JPG, Nave File:Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye façade.JPG, West front File:Triforium.eglise.Saint.Seine.png,

Triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locate ...

: drawing by

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

File:Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye maquette.JPG, Model of the former abbey File:Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye fresque.JPG, Frescoes of the life of Saint Seine

History

Architecture

Church

Cloister

Gallery

Notes and references

Further reading