Saint-Martin de Limoges (or Saint-Martin-lez-Limoges) was a Benedictine monastery in

Limoges Limoges (, , ; oc, Lemòtges, locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region ...

from 1012 and a house of

Feuillants Feuillant and its plural Feuillants, a French word derived ultimately from the Latin for "leaf", can refer to the following: *Les Feuillants Abbey, also known as Feuillant Abbey ( la, Fulium), a Cistercian monastery in Labastide-Clermont, France *C ...

from 1624 until 1791. For the early years of the monastery before its re-foundation, there is no other source than the 13th-century chronicle of the Abbot

Pierre Coral Pierre Coral (died 1286) was a French monk and historian. He was the prior of Saint-Martin de Limoges, then abbot from 1247 until 28 August 1276, when he became the Abbey of Tulle, abbot of Tulle (as Pierre III), a position he held until his death., ...

. He records that a monastery dedicated to

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...

was founded around 640 by the parents of Saint Eligius, and that the latter's brother, Alicius, was the first abbot. It was subsequently destroyed by

Pippin I of Aquitaine Pepin I or Pepin I of Aquitaine (French: ''Pépin''; 797 – 13 December 838) was King of Aquitaine and Duke of Maine. Pepin was the second son of Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye. When his father assigned t ...

during the a civil war and then again by Vikings. How much of this history is true is impossible to say, but there was certainly an abandoned church outside the walls by the year 1000. Bishop Hilduin of Limoges established a Benedictine monastery at that place in 1012. This is mentioned by a contemporary, Ademar of Chabannes. Hilduin and his brother, the abbot of Saint-Martial, gave gifts to the monastery. The bishop endowed it with the relics of Saint Justus. He may even have procured royal and papal protection for his new foundation. He was buried at Saint-Martin. Pierre Coral claims that he still left the monastery poor and small. Soon after, Bishop Jordan praised the monastery before the peace council of 1031. The first abbot, Rudolf, came from the

abbey of Tulle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulle (Latin: ''Dioecesis Tutelensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Tulle'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tulle, France. The diocese of Tulle comprises the whole ''département'' of Corrèze. The Abbey of Tulle was found ...

. The second, Berengar, came from and died en route. The third, Donadieu, was consecrated in December 1074. Tradition associated him with the monastery's acquisition of a relic of Martin of Tours. The fourth abbot, Jordan, came from Vierzon. He resigned and was succeeded by Gerard. Gerard, a monk of Tulle, was succeeded in 1134 by the first abbot elected from among the monks of Saint-Martin, William I. In 1155, William was succeeded by Pierre de Pierrebuffière, a native of the Limousin and the prior of Sauxillanges. During his abbacy, in 1182, the monastery was heavily damaged when Henry the Young King suppressed a local rebellion. The monks were given refuge in the city by Saint-Martial. Pierre soon left for Cluny and by 1195 the monks had elected William II. William died the following year and Richard the Lionheart imposed the provost of Saint-Augustin, Raymond de Treignac, as abbot. Although Richard favoured rebuilding the monastery, nothing was done in Raymond four or five years as abbot. The church was rebuilt by 1235. In 1247, Pierre Coral became abbot. He left to become abbot of Tulle in 1276. During the Wars of Religion, the monastery was damaged by Huguenots in 1548 and 1563. It was repaired by the

commendatory abbot A commendatory abbot ( la, abbas commendatarius) is an ecclesiastic, or sometimes a layman, who holds an abbey ''in commendam'', drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline. If a commendatory abbot is an ...

Marchandon. In 1622, the Benedictines of Saint-Martin ceded their house to Marchandon, who converted it into a house of

by 1624 under the name Saint-Martin-Saint-Laurent. In 1791, the building was acquired by the government. It became the headquarters of the 12th Army Corps. Today no trace of the monastic building remains.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{coord missing, France Limoges, Abbey of Saint-Martin 1010s establishments in France 1791 disestablishments in France Limoges, Abbey of Saint-Martin Buildings and structures in Limoges