Montivilliers Abbey (french: Abbaye de Montivilliers; la, Monasterium Villare) 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 ...

nunnery, founded between 682 and by Saint Philibert in the town of Montivilliers in Normandy, in the present department of

Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inféri ...

, France. It was suppressed 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, but many buildings, including the church, have survived.

History

Montivilliers Abbey began as a nunnery founded around 684.

Lucien Musset Lucien Musset (26 August 1922 – 15 December 2004) was a French historian, specializing in the Duchy of Normandy and the history of the Vikings. Biography Born in Rennes, Musset served as a professor of history at the University of Caen. Selec ...

, ''Monachisme d'époque franque et monachisme d'époque ducale en Normandie: le problème de la continuité'' in "Aspects du monachisme en Normandie: actes du Colloque scientifique de l’Année des abbayes normandes", Caen, 18-20 octobre 1979 / IVe- XVIIIes: "Colloque scientifique de l’Année des abbayes normandes", J. Vrin, Paris, 1982, , Mentioned in 833, this monastery was completely destroyed 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 ...

in the 9th century. The abbey was rebuilt in 1025 by

Richard II, Duke of Normandy Richard II (died 28 August 1026), called the Good (French: ''Le Bon''), was the duke of Normandy from 996 until 1026. Life Richard was the eldest surviving son and heir of Richard the Fearless and Gunnor. He succeeded his father as the ruler of D ...

, for a community of monks dependent on Fécamp Abbey. On 13 January 1035, at a meeting held in Fécamp,.

Robert I, Duke of Normandy Robert the Magnificent (french: le Magnifique;He was also, although erroneously, said to have been called 'Robert the Devil' (french: le Diable). Robert I was never known by the nickname 'the devil' in his lifetime. 'Robert the Devil' was a fic ...

, granted it autonomy as a nunnery once again, for the benefit of his aunt Beatrice. The Duke, with the agreement of

Robert 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 ...

Archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

, also granted Montivilliers an exemption from all episcopal custom. The re-founded abbey was endowed with numerous estates in the region, and these made it possible, during the time in office of the Abbess Elisabeth in the second half of the 11th century, to undertake the construction of the great abbey church, an excellent example of

Norman architecture The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used f ...

at the time of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

. On 6 April 1192, the abbey was placed under the special protection of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. In the 15th century, the parish of Saint-Sauveur, which had been granted the first seven bays of the nave of the abbey church, had the north side knocked down so as to double its size with a large Gothic extension. From the 16th to the 18th century, the abbey continued to have great influence, especially under the direction of the Abbess Louise de L'Hospital (1596-1643), during whose time in office the abbey was reformed, in 1602. The abbey was suppressed during the

and the nuns were expelled in 1792, after which the buildings underwent an intense and varied occupation (offices, prison, garrison, shops, stables, etc.) during the revolutionary period. They were sold off in 1811, and used for industrial purposes: as a cotton spinning mill, then as a sugar refinery and finally as a brewery from 1857. They were later converted into warehouses, garages and living quarters. In 1975, the municipality of Montivilliers initiated a review of the future of the abbey site, which was favourably concluded in 1977. The first phase of the work allowed the installation in 1994 of the Condorcet library in the Abbesses' Lodging. The second phase, carried out from 1997 to 2000, enabled the restoration of the spaces to their original architecture, the creation of the "Cœur d'Abbaye" show trail and the fitting out of a room for temporary exhibitions in the Gothic refectory.

The abbey church

The original plan of the 11th-century church, of Benedictine type, was modified in the 15th century. At the crossing, however, the church has retained a monumental bell tower from the late 11th century. The façade dates from the first half of the 12th century. It was originally supposed to have two towers, like the churches of

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 th ...

and Boscherville, but only the northern one has survived. Above the Romanesque portal, a large Gothic window was added in the 14th century. In the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, only the south side, restored in the 19th century, is still Romanesque. In the

Flamboyant Gothic Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

style, the nave is illuminated by the large windows of six adjoining chapels. At the crossing, a 17th-century vault hides the 12th-century vault. The arms of the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building wi ...

are covered with rib vaults of archaic style, without keys, separated by a band decorated with chevrons (). The semicircular arch that opened onto the southern

apse chapel An apse chapel, apsidal chapel, or chevet is a chapel in traditional Christian church architecture, which radiates tangentially from one of the bays or divisions of the apse. It is reached generally by a semicircular passageway, or ambulatory, ext ...

shows twenty keystones carved with anecdotal scenes or stylised animals. The

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, three bays deep and much modified in the 17th century, still reveals its primitive Romanesque structure, especially in the high columns that marked the start of the semicircle of the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

. The abbey church was classified as a '' monument historique'' by the 1862 list and various parts of the abbey were classified in 1992. The abbey's organ is by whose centenary was celebrated on 27 September 1992 with a recital given by Pierre Pincemaille.

The abbey

The

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

itself, whose original appearance is unknown, had completely disappeared and was reconstructed during the recent restoration. It is bordered to the west by the former residence of the abbesses, a stone construction dating from the 18th century. To the south lies a 15th- or early 16th-century building of cut stone and flint included the refectory on the ground floor and a dormitory with cells on the first floor, which has preserved 16th-century carpentry work of chestnut wood. On the east side, in the extension of the south transept of the abbey church, the old

chapter room A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...

is a vaulted room dating back to the 11th century. Following it, on the same side, is the old

refectory A refectory (also frater, frater house, fratery) is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries. The name derives from the Lat ...

, a vast 13th-century Gothic hall. The ribbed vaults rest along the walls on applied columns with hooked capitals and, in the centre, on a row of round columns. In the background, behind the

of the church, the 15th-century remains of the abbey's former infirmary are still visible. In 1811, the town set up a local secondary school there, which later became an ''Ecole primaire supérieure et professionnelle'' from 1856 to 1941, then a college from 1941 to 1954 and finally a lycée annexe until 1969.

Coat of arms of the abbey

Gules, a long cross or on a mount argent.

List of abbesses

* 1035-1065: Béatrix or Béatrice de Normandie, daughter of

Richard I of Normandy Richard I (28 August 932 – 20 November 996), also known as Richard the Fearless (French: ''Richard Sans-Peur''; Old Norse: ''Jarl Rikard''), was the count of Rouen from 942 to 996.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln ...

* 1065-1116: Élisabeth I * 1117-1152: Almodie * 1152-1192: Mathilde I * 1192-1203: Adeline * 1203-1232: Alix I de Walterville * 1232-1236: Marguerite I de Bargines * 1236-1256: Marguerite II de Guerres-en-Brie * 1256-1258: Julienne * 1258-1259: Alix II * 1259-1275: Agnès I * 1275-1302: Philippa * 1302-1320: Mathilde II de Mortemer * 1320-1330: Elisabeth II * 1330-1355: Yolande des Préaux * 1355-1372: Jeanne I * 1372-1389: Marguerite III de La Rivière * 1389-1397: Marie I de Noyers * 1398-1403: Isabelle I Ponchin * 1403-1416: Catherine I de Hardouville * 1416-1417: Isabelle II de Boscherville * 1417-1445: Durande Féré, former prioress of Saint-Paul de Rouen * 1445-1469: Guillemette I de Tournebu * 1469-1503: Agnès II Le Lièvre * 1503-1507: Jeanne III de Chambray * 1507-1511: Isabelle III Le Clerc * 1511-1528: Jeanne IV Mustel * 1528-1536: Catherine d'Albret, daughter of King

John III of Navarre John III (french: Jean d'Albret; 1469 – 14 June 1516) was ''jure uxoris'' King of Navarre from 1484 until his death, as husband and co-ruler with Queen Catherine. He was a son of Alain I, Lord of Albret and his wife Frances, Countess of Pér ...

. She was a nun from the Abbey of Sainte-Madeleine d'Orléans * 1536-1552: Claire du Motier de Lafayette * 1552-1589: Guillemette de la Platière, prioress of Marsac, niece of the preceding and sister of Imbert de La Plâtière,

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

* 1589-1593: Barbe Cavelier * 1593-1617: Louise I de L'Hospital de Vitry, reformer of the abbeyracineshistoire.free.fr
/ref> * 1617-1644: Anne de L'Hospital de Vitry, sister of , niece of the preceding * 1644-1661: Louise II de L'Hospital de Vitry, niece of the preceding * 1661-1682: Éléonore-Charlotte Gigault de Bellefonds * 1682-1745: Laure-Madeleine Cadot de Sébeville.

* 1745-1763: Madeleine-Éléonore Gigault de Bellefonds, sister of

Jacques Bonne-Gigault de Bellefonds Jacques Bonne-Gigault de Bellefonds (1698–1746) was a French prelate who was Archbishop of Arles from 1741 to 1746. Biography Jacques Bonne-Gigault de Bellefonds was born at the Château de Montifray, near Beaumont-la-Ronce, on 1 May 1698. ...

, Archbishop of Paris * 1763-1778: Germaine de Conty d'Hargicourt * 1778-1792: Marie II Anne de Grossolles de Flamarens

References

External links

Abbaye de Montivilliers official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montivilliers Abbey Christian monasteries established in the 7th century Benedictine nunneries in France Buildings and structures in Seine-Maritime Romanesque architecture in Normandy Tourist attractions in Seine-Maritime