Grande-Sauve Abbey or Sauve-Majeure Abbey 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 near the present village of
La Sauve in the
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of the
Gironde
Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...
, in a region once heavily forested. Although now in ruins, the remains of the abbey are still of great interest in terms of
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
, especially because of the many sculpted
capitals still surviving.
In 1998 the abbey ruins were included as part of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
of the
pilgrimage route to
St. James of Compostela.
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France: Unesco World Heritage
/ref>
History
On the spot known as Hauteville, halfway between the Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...
and the Dordogne
Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...
, Gerald of Sauve-Majeure
Saint Gerald of Sauve-Majeure (sometimes also Gerard or Geraud) ( 1025–1095), also known, from his place of origin, as Gerald of Corbie, was a Benedictine abbot.
Life
Saint Gerald was born in Corbie, Picardy, and was educated at the abbey of Cor ...
founded the abbey of Grande-Sauve in 1079, of which he was also the first abbot. Its name refers to the ''Silva Major'', the great forest that then occupied the whole region known as the ''Vignoble de l'Entre-Deux-Mers'' ("vineyard between two seas"), which was a gift to Gerald from Duke William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII ( – 25 September 1086), born Guy-Geoffrey (''Gui-Geoffroi''), was duke of Gascony (1052–1086), and then duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers (as William VI) between 1058 and 1086, succeeding his brother William VII (Pierre-Gui ...
.
With the support of the duke, the Pope and a large number of generous benefactors and protectors, including the kings of England, its patrons, and France, the abbey prospered and grew rapidly. It is sited on the route to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
and served as a local point of departure for pilgrims. Abbot Gerald was buried there at his death in 1095 and Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
canonised him in 1197. The present church was consecrated in 1231.
Grande-Sauve Abbey had a monastic life governed by the Rule of St. Benedict
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...
and based on that of Cluny
Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon.
The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 9 ...
, although it did not belong to the Cluniac Order. In the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
it was a rich and powerful house and possessed 51 priories, including at Burwell in England. Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...
stayed there often. In wealth and power it rivalled the urban centre of Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
. However, the abbey's wealth attracted bandits, Basques
The Basques ( or ; eu, euskaldunak ; es, vascos ; french: basques ) are a Southwestern European ethnic group, characterised by the Basque language, a common culture and shared genetic ancestry to the ancient Vascones and Aquitanians. Bas ...
and the Navarrese
Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
, who plundered it many times. The townspeople of La Sauve also rebelled often against the rich monks.
The abbey suffered damage during the Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...
(1337 to 1453) between France and England, and although it was repaired and fortified in the 16th century, at this period the abbey's privileges and influence were contested and its economic position threatened. From this time forward it found itself in a continuing decline.
The community later joined the Congrégation des Exempts and in 1667 became a member of the Congregation of St. Maur
The Congregation of St. Maur, often known as the Maurists, were a congregation of French Benedictines, established in 1621, and known for their high level of scholarship. The congregation and its members were named after Saint Maurus (died 565), ...
.
In 1665 a great storm caused severe damage to the roofs of the church, the dormitories and the refectory, as well as to the belltower, which collapsed at the end of the 17th century. In 1759 the structure of the church was seriously weakened by an earthquake.
Dissolution and after
During 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 ...
the abbey's assets were confiscated and dispersed. The surviving buildings were used from 1793 as a prison. The church roof fell in during 1809, and for the next forty years the remains were used as a quarry for the village of La Sauve.
In 1837 the archbishop bought up the site and had a Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
college built there, which was later converted into a teachers' training college. But in 1910 the school was destroyed in a fire and the site was again abandoned. Between 1914 and 1918 the remaining buildings were used as a small military hospital.
In 1960 the site was acquired by the French government and the ruins made stable. The site is now open to the public under the management of the ''Centre des Monuments Historiques''.
Gallery
File:Abbaye de la Sauve- 2005-11.JPG
Image:Abbaye de la Sauve-2005-11-Clocher à travers fenêtre.JPG
Image:Abbaye de la Sauve-2005-11-reste du dortoir.JPG, View from the tower
Image:Abbaye de la Sauve-2005-11-Details de la nef.JPG, Vaulting of the nave
File:Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure - Sirens.JPG, Capital with Sirens
File:Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure - Daniel in the Lions' Den.jpg, Capital with Daniel in the Lions' Den
File:Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure - Corbel3.JPG, Corbel of the Chevet, Acrobat
File:Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure - Saint Bartholomew.JPG, Consecration Medallion, Saint Bartholomew
References
''This article is based on its equivalent on the French Wikipedia''
* Official website
http://www.abbaye-la-sauve-majeure.fr/
{{Authority control
Benedictine monasteries in France
Buildings and structures in Gironde
1079 establishments in Europe
1070s establishments in France
Christian monasteries established in the 11th century
World Heritage Sites in France
Tourist attractions in Gironde
Ruins in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Churches in Gironde
Monuments historiques of Gironde
Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux