Jouarre Abbey (''Abbaye Notre-Dame de Jouarre'') is a

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 ...

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conce ...

Jouarre Jouarre () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Jouarre Abbey It is the site of the Jouarre Abbey, a Merovingian foundation of Abbess Theodochilde or Telchilde, traditionally in 630, ...

in the

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne (river), Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square ...

History

This

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...

foundation was established around 630, by Adon, son of Saint Authaire (Audecharius), inspired by a visit of St.

Columbanus Columbanus ( ga, Columbán; 543 – 21 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in pr ...

. His first cousin, Thelchildes, who had been educated at the abbey of

Faremoutiers Faremoutiers () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. History Originally named ''Evoriacum'', Faremoutiers was renamed in honour of Saint Fara, who founded the Abbey of Faremoutiers ...

, became Abbess."Abbey Notre-Dame de Jouarre", Service des Moniales
/ref> As part of its Celtic heritage, Jouarre was established as a " double community," i.e., a community of monks as well as nuns, both under the rule of the abbess, following a mixed rule.

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

later imposed the ''

Rule of Saint 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 ...

''."Abbaye Notre Dame de Jouarre", Congregazione Sublacense Cassinese OSB
/ref> The Merovingian (pre-Romanesque) crypt beneath the Romanesque abbey church contains a number of burials in

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...

, notably that of Theodochilde's brother,

Agilbert Agilbert ( 650–680) was the second bishop of the West Saxon kingdom and later Bishop of Paris. He is venerated as a saint within the Catholic Church, with his feast day falling on 11 October. The date and place of Agilbert's birth are unknow ...

(died 680), carved with a tableau of the Last Judgment and

Christ in Majesty Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory ( la, Maiestas Domini) is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whos ...

, highlights of pre-Romanesque sculpture. In the mid-ninth century the abbey acquired relics of

St. Potentian Saints Savinian and Potentian (french: Savinien et Potenti(e)n) (d. 390) are martyrs commemorated as the patron saints and founders of the diocese of Sens, France. Savinian should not be confused with another early French martyr, Sabinian of Troye ...

; the relics assembled at Jouarre attracted pilgrims. The body of Saint

Osmanna Saint Osmanna (or Agariarga) was said to be a virgin of Irish royal origin who lived alone in the woods near the mouth of the Loire in France, performed many miracles of healing, and came to be considered a saint. Her story may have little basis in ...

was buried in the abbey before being transferred to the

Abbey Church of Saint Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

. The abbey suffered from attacks by Vikings and was rebuilt in the tenth century. The Carolingian tower was attached to the church and served as a watch tower. The reputation of the house stood so high the abbey received a visit from

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...

in 1131 and was able to house a synod in 1133. In 1225 the abbey was granted immunity from interference from the

bishop of Meaux The Roman Catholic Diocese of Meaux (Latin: ''Dioecesis Meldensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Meaux'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the entire department of Seine-et-Marne. It was suff ...

, answering only to the pope. 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, ...

, the abbey was ransacked and the nuns forced into exile; but they returned in 1433. The abbey is an important pilgrimage center. A fortified town was built around it and gave birth to the present city of

. At the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (1572), the abbess

Charlotte of Bourbon Charlotte of Bourbon (1546/1547 – 5 May 1582) was a Princess consort of Orange as the third spouse of William the Silent, Prince of Orange, the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish. She was the fourth daughter of Louis III de Bou ...

(1547–1582) converted to Protestantism and escaped from the abbey in a cart of hay, and fled to Germany. She married

William I of Orange-Nassau William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

. The abbess's submission to the bishop of Meaux did not come about until

Bossuet Bossuet is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704), French bishop and theologian, uncle of Louis * Louis Bossuet Louis Bossuet (22 February 1663 – 15 January 1742) was a French parle ...

held the post in 1690.Bossuet vs. Jouarre's Women
In 1797 the buildinga were confiscated by the Revolution and Benedictine community was dispersed. The cloister and the chapter were destroyed; the church served as a stone quarry. In 1821, the nuns bought back the Abbot's House and opened a boarding school. The church was rebuilt in 1863. The present monastery buildings, once again occupied by

Benedictine nuns , 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 ...

, date from the eighteenth century; their traditional vegetable and fruit garden (''potager'') are notable.

The abbesses

(incomplete list) * Telchilde (630-680) * St. Agilberta, second Abbess of Jouarre *St. Balda * HersendeLucien Auvray, Les Registres de Gregoire IX (Paris: Bibliotheque des Ecoles Francaises d'Athene et de Rome, 1896-1910), vol I, p 279, 27 April 1230. * Jeanne de Montpensier (1541 † 1620), daughter of Louis III of Montpensier *

, daughter of Louis III of Montpensier * Jeanne de Guise (1586 † 1638), daughter of

Henry, Duke of Guise Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II d'Este, Du ...

* Henriette de Lorraine (1631–1693), daughter of

Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Chevreuse Claude de Lorraine (5 June 1578 – 24 January 1657), also called ''Claude de Guise'', was a French noble and husband of Marie de Rohan. He was the Duke of Chevreuse, a title which is today used by the Duke of Luynes. Biography He was the thir ...

* Anne-Therese de Rohan (1684–1738) daughter of Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise

Burials

Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

*Theodechildis (Agilbert's sister), who was abbess

Foundations

Abbey of Regina Laudis The Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis was founded in 1947 by Mother Benedict Duss, O.S.B. and Mother Mary Aline Trilles de Warren, O.S.B. in Bethlehem, Connecticut. This monastic foundation was one of the first houses of contemplative Benedictin ...

(

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

)

References

External links

Jouarre Abbey official website

Virtual tour of the crypt
{{Authority control Double monasteries Benedictine nunneries in France Christian monasteries established in the 7th century Churches in Seine-et-Marne Churches completed in 630 7th-century churches in France