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Luxeuil Abbey (), the ''Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul'', was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in
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 ...
, located in what is now 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 collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
of
Haute-Saône Haute-Saône (; Arpitan: ''Hiôta-Sona''; English: Upper Saône) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of northeastern France. Named after the river Saône, it had a population of 235,313 in 2019.Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.


History


Columbanus

It was founded circa 590 by the Irish missionary Saint
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 i ...
. Columbanus and his companions first settled in cells at Annegray, in the commune of Voivre, Haute-Saône. Looking for a more permanent site for his community, Columbanus decided upon the ruins of a well-fortified
Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
settlement, ''Luxovium'', about eight miles away. The Roman town had been ravaged by
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and E ...
in 451, and was now buried in the dense overgrown woodland that had filled the abandoned site over more than a century, but the place still had the advantage of the thermal baths ("constructed with unusual skill", according to Columbanus' early biographer, Jonas of Bobbio) down in the valley, which still give the town its name of Luxeuil-les-Bains. Jonas described it further: "There stone images crowded the nearby woods, which were honoured in the miserable cult and profane former rites in the time of the pagans". With a grant from an officer of the palace at Childebert's court, an abbey church was built with a sense of triumph within the heathen site and its "spectral haunts". Under the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of the Irish monks, the abbey at Luxeuil, dedicated to
Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...
, soon became the most important and flourishing monastery in Gaul. The community was so large that choir followed choir in the chanting of the
office An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific ...
, and at Luxeuil the '' laus perennis'' imported from Agaunum went on day and night. Most of the earliest rule that was observed at Luxeuil derived from
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
monastic traditions, whether or not written down by Columbanus, supplemented increasingly by the more formalized
Benedictine Rule 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 ...
that was followed throughout the West, which provided for the abbot's orderly election, his relations with his monks, and the appointment of monastic officials and their delegated powers. In 603, a synod accused Columbanus of keeping
Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...
by the Celtic date, but his severity and the inflexible rule he had established may have been the true cause of friction with the Burgundian court.


Eustace of Luxeuil

Columbanus was exiled from Luxeuil by Theuderic II of Austrasia and the dowager Queen Brunehaut. He was succeeded as abbot by Saint
Eustace of Luxeuil Eustace of Luxeuil (c. 560 – c. 626), also known as Eustasius, was the second abbot of Luxeuil from 611. He succeeded his teacher Columbanus, to whom he had been a favorite disciple and monk. He had been the head of the monastic school. Life ...
, the head of the monastic school, which under Eustace and his successor Saint Waldebert, established a high reputation. The extensive library and the great scriptorium are first attested under Abbot Waldebert (629–670). The school and example of Luxeuil contributed significantly to the conversion of the
Burgundians The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...
. Luxeuil sent out monks to found houses at Bobbio, between
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
and
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, where Columbanus himself became abbot, and monasteries at Saint-Valéry and
Remiremont Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mos ...
. To Luxeuil came such monks as Conon, abbot of Lérins Abbey to prepare for the reform of his monastery, and Saints
Wandregisel Saint Wandregisel (french: Wandrille) (c. 605–668 AD) was a Frankish courtier, monk, and abbot. Life The son of Walchisus, a kinsman of Pepin of Landen, he was born around 605, near Verdun in the region then known as Austrasia. He was educated ...
and Philibert, founders respectively of the abbeys of Fontenelle and
Jumièges Jumièges () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France. Geography A forestry and farming village situated in a meander of the river Seine, some west of Rouen, at the junction of the D 65 and ...
in
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, who spent years in studying the rule observed in monasteries which derived their origin from Luxeuil.


Saracen, Viking and Hungarian raids

About 732, a raiding party of
Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinc ...
under the skillful general
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi ( ar, عبدالرحمن بن عبداللّه الغافقي, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghāfiqī; died 732), was an Arab Umayyad commander of Andalusian Muslims. He unsuccessfully led int ...
, governor of
Al-Andalus Al-Andalus translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label= Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, al-Ándalus () was the M ...
, penetrating from Arles deep into Burgundy, briefly took possession of Luxeuil and massacred most of the community, including Abbot Mellinus. The few survivors rebuilt the abbey. In 816, under the reforming government of the eighteenth abbot, Saint
Ansegisus Saint Ansegisus (c. 770 – 20 July 833 or 834) was a monastic reformer of the Franks. Born about 770, of noble parentage, at the age of eighteen he entered the monastery of Fontenelle (also called St Wandrille after the name of its founder ...
, the Emperor
Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...
renewed its charters, restored the church and monastic buildings, and reformed discipline. The monastery and the small town that clustered around its walls were devastated by the
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
in about 886. In 917, it was sacked by the
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...
.Victor Spinei, ''The Great Migrations in the East and South East of Europe from the Ninth to the Thirteenth Century'' (Romanian Cultural Institute, Center for Transylvanian Studies, 2003), p. 74.


Modern period

From the 15th century the institution of non-resident commendatory abbots encouraged the decline of discipline. The
Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
curtailed the power of Luxeuil's abbots. In 1634, however, the commendatory abbots ceased, and Luxeuil was joined to the reformed
Congregation of St. Vanne The Congregation of St. Vanne or Congregation of St. Vanne and St. Hydulphe (French: ''Congrégation de Saint-Vanne et Saint-Hydulphe''), sometimes also known as the Vannists (''Vannistes'') was a Benedictine reform movement centered in the Duchy of ...
. From the report of the "Commission des Réguliers", drawn up in 1768, the community appears to have been numerous and flourishing, and discipline well kept.


French Revolution

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 conside ...
the monks were dispersed. Most of the abbey's site is built over by the modern town, but the fine
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, built in the 14th century, was not destroyed; neither were the cloisters and conventual buildings, which until the "Association Laws" of 1901 were used as a
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
for the diocese of Besançon, and still remain in existence. The church itself has for many years served as the parish church of Luxeuil-les-Bains.


List of abbots

For a list of abbots, see Henri Baumont, ''Étude historique sur l'abbaye de Luxeuil (590–1790)'' (Luxeuil, 1895)
appendix I
* 590–610 : 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 i ...
* 610–625 : Eustace * 625–670 : St Waldebert * 670–6?? : Vindologus * 6??–665 : Berthoald * 665–682 : Ingofrid * 682–6?? : Cunctan * 6??–6?? : Rusticus * 6??–700 : Sayfrocius (Sayfarius) * 700–7?? : Ado * 7??–7?? : Arulf * 7??–7?? : Rendinus * 7??–7?? : Regnebert * 7??–7?? : Gerard I * 7??–7?? : Ratto * 7??–730 : Vinlincrannus (Vuikeranus) * 730–731 : St Mellinus *'' 731–746 : vacancy'' * 746–7?? : Frudoald * 7??–7?? : Gaylembus * 7??–764 : Airibrand * 764–7?? : Boso * 7??–785 : Grimoald * 785–786 : Andrew I * 786–7?? : Docto * 7??–8?? : Siliernus * 8??–817 : Dadinus * 817–834 : St
Ansegisus Saint Ansegisus (c. 770 – 20 July 833 or 834) was a monastic reformer of the Franks. Born about 770, of noble parentage, at the age of eighteen he entered the monastery of Fontenelle (also called St Wandrille after the name of its founder ...
* 834–834 : Drogo * 834–855 : Fulbert * 856–888 : St Gibart * ???–??? : Eudes I * 948–983 : Guy I * 983–1018 : Aalongus * 1018–10?? : Milo * 10??–1049 : William I * 1049–10?? : Gerard II * 10??–10?? : Roger * 10??–10?? : Robert * 10??–10?? : Guy II * 1090–1023 : Thibaud I * 1123–1136 : Hugh I * 1136–1139 : Josserand * 1139–1147 : Stephen I * 1147–1160 : Gerard III * 1160–1165 : Peter I * 1165–1178 : Sifroi * 1178–1186 : Bouchard * 1186–1189 : Gerard IV * 1189–1201 : Olivier d'Abbans * 1201–1204 : Frederick * 1204–1209 : Hervé * 1209–1219 : Hugh II * 1219–1234 : Simon * 1234–1265 : Thibaud II * 1265–12?? : Régnier * 12??–1271 : Hugh III * 1271–1287 : Charles I * 1287–1308 : Thibaud III de Faucogney * 1308–1314 : Stephen II *'' 1314–1319 : vacancy'' * 1319–1345 : Eudes II de Châtillon * 1345–1351 : Fromond de Corcondray * 1351–1363 : Guillaume II de Saint-Germain * 1364–1382 : Aymon de Mollans * 1382–1416 : Guillaume III de Bussul * 1416–1416 : Pierre II de Lugney * 1416–1424 : Étienne III Pierrecy de L'Isle * 1424–1427 : Guy III Pierrecy de L'Isle * 1427–1431 : Jean I d'Ungelles * 1431–1449 : Guy IV Briffaut * 1449–1468 : Jean II Jouffroy * 1468–1495 : Antoine I de Neuchâtel * 1495–1533 : Jean III de La Palud de Varambon * 1534–1541 : François I de La Palud de Varambon * 1542–1560 : François II Bonvalot * 1560–1586 : Antoine II Perrenot de Granvelle * 1587–1600 : Louis de Madruce * 1600–1601 : André II d'Autriche * 1601–1622 : Antoine III de La Baume * 1622–1631 : Philippe de La Baume * 1633–1642 : Jérôme Coquelin * 1642–1671 : Jean–Baptiste Ier Clerc * 1671–1671 : Claude–Paul de Bauffremont * 1671–1671 : Emmanuel Privey * 1671–1680 : Jean–Baptiste II Joseph-Hyacinthe de Bauffremont * 1680–1733 : Charles II Emmanuel de Bauffremont *'' 1733–1741 : vacancy'' * 1741–1743 : René de Rohan-Soubise * 1743–1790 : Jean IV Louis-Aynard de Clermont-Tonnerre


See also

* List of Merovingian monasteries *
Merovingian architecture Merovingian art is the art of the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks, which lasted from the 5th century to the 8th century in present-day France, Benelux and a part of Germany. The advent of the Merovingian dynasty in Gaul in the 5th century led ...
*
Merovingian art Merovingian art is the art of the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks, which lasted from the 5th century to the 8th century in present-day France, Benelux and a part of Germany. The advent of the Merovingian dynasty in Gaul in the 5th century led ...


Notes


External links


Catholic Encyclopedia article: Luxeuil
*
Northvegr: Roman ruins of the baths at Luxeuil
{{Authority control Benedictine monasteries in France Merovingian architecture Christian monasteries established in the 6th century Buildings and structures in Haute-Saône Irish monastic foundations in continental Europe Churches in Haute-Saône