Bellebranche Abbey (french: Abbaye de Bellebranche) is a former

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

monastery located in Saint-Brice, Mayenne, France, founded in 1152 and suppressed during the French Revolution.

History

Bellebranche Abbey was established by monks from

Louroux Abbey Louroux Abbey (french: Abbaye de Louroux) was a Cistercian monastery located in Vernantes, Pays de la Loire, France. History Louroux Abbey was founded in 1121 by the mother abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a rel ...

, in

Anjou Anjou may refer to: Geography and titles France *County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou **Count of Anjou, title of nobility *Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France **Duke ...

, in 1150. The foundation was made final on 27 July 1152 by the gift of Robert III de Sablé. His son,

Robert IV de Sablé The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, confirmed and augmented his father's gift on the death of his wife, Clemence of Mayenne, and his departure for the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

in 1190. The foundation was confirmed by Popes Alexander III in 1165,

Urban IV Pope Urban IV ( la, Urbanus IV; c. 1195 – 2 October 1264), born Jacques Pantaléon, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1261 to his death. He was not a cardinal; only a few popes since his time hav ...

in 1264,

Clement IV Pope Clement IV ( la, Clemens IV; 23 November 1190 – 29 November 1268), born Gui Foucois ( la, Guido Falcodius; french: Guy de Foulques or ') and also known as Guy le Gros ( French for "Guy the Fat"; it, Guido il Grosso), was bishop of Le P ...

and Boniface VIII. Among the privileges of the monks was that of electing the abbot and the

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

, which they took care to have confirmed in 1498 by Louis XII. The abbey was soon the richest of the Cistercian houses of Anjou and Maine, thanks to the generosity of the lords of Sablé, Château-Gontier, Laval, Craon, Sillé, Anthenaise and Rohan. The abbey was suppressed and sold off as a national asset in 1793.

References

Buildings and structures in Mayenne Cistercian monasteries in France {{RC-stub