Fontenelle Abbey or the Abbey of St. Wandrille 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 ...
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
in the commune of
Rives-en-Seine
Rives-en-Seine () is a commune in the department of Seine-Maritime, northern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Caudebec-en-Caux, Saint-Wandrille-Rançon and Villequier.Caudebec-en-Caux
Caudebec-en-Caux (, literally ''Caudebec in Caux'') is a former commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Rives-en-Seine.
Geography
Caudebec-en- ...
in
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
.
First foundation
It was founded by
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 educate ...
or Saint Wandrille (d. 22 July 668) and his nephew Godo, on land obtained through the influence of Wandregisel's friend Saint
Ouen
Audoin (AD 609 – on 24 August 684; also spelled ''Audoen'', ''Ouen'', ''Owen''; la, Audoenus; known as Dado to contemporaries) was a Frankish bishop, courtier, hagiographer and saint.
Life
Audoin came from a wealthy aristocratic Frankish fam ...
,
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 Ar ...
. Wandrille, being of the royal family of Austrasia, held a high position in the court of his kinsman
Dagobert I
Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dy ...
, but wishing to devote his life to God, he retired to the abbey of
Montfaucon-d'Argonne
Montfaucon-d'Argonne (, literally ''Montfaucon of Argonne'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is home to the Meuse-Argonne American Memorial.
See also
* Communes of the Meuse department
The follo ...
, in
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
, in 629. Later he went to
Bobbio Abbey
Bobbio Abbey (Italian: ''Abbazia di San Colombano'') is a monastery founded by Irish Saint Columbanus in 614, around which later grew up the town of Bobbio, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Columbanus. I ...
and then to
Romainmôtier Abbey
Romainmôtier is a village and former municipality in the district of Orbe in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland.
In 1970 the municipality was merged with the neighboring municipality Envy to form a new and larger municipality Romainmôtier-Envy
R ...
, where he remained for ten years. In 648 he returned to Normandy and established the monastery of Fontenelle,Alston, George Cyprian. "Abbey of Fontenelle." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 17 November 2022 using the Rule of Saint Columbanus, which he had known at Bobbio; the deed of gift of the land is dated 1 March 649. It was one of the first Benedictine abbeys in Normandy and part of a powerful network of Carolingian monasteries spread across Normandy.
Wandregisel first built a Carolingian style
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
dedicated to
Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
, nearly long, which was consecrated by Saint Ouen in 657. (This church was destroyed by fire in 756 and rebuilt by Abbot
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 ...
(823–33), who added a
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
and tower).
The monastery acquired extensive property and was extremely successful at first. In 740 however there began a series of
lay abbot
Lay abbot ( la, abbatocomes, abbas laicus, abbas miles, ) is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitle ...
s, under whom the monastery declined. In 823 Ansegisus, nephew of Abbot Gervold, was appointed abbot of Fontenelle, which he reformed according to the practice at
Luxeuil Abbey
Luxeuil Abbey (), the ''Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul'', was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in Burgundy, located in what is now the département of Haute-Saône in Franche-Comté, France.
History Columbanus
It was founded circa 5 ...
.
The abbey soon became a target for
Viking
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 ...
raids, culminating in that of 9 January 852 when it was burnt down and the monks fled with the relics of Saint Wandrille.
After more than a century in temporary accommodation at
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
,
Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
,
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France.
It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audomar, ...
and
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
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 ...
then sent Maynard to establish the Benedictine Rule at
Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
The Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey is an abbey located within the city and island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, in the department of Manche.
The abbey is an essential part of the structural composition of the town the feudal society constructed. O ...
.
A new church was built by Abbot Gérard, but was hardly finished when it was destroyed by lightning in 1012. Undaunted by this disaster the monks once more set to work and another church was consecrated in 1033. Two centuries later, in 1250, this was burnt to the ground, but Abbot Pierre Mauviel at once began a new one. The work was hampered by lack of funds and it was not until 1331 that the building was finished.
Monks and arts
Meanwhile, the monastery attained a position of great importance and celebrity for the fervour and learning of its monks, who during the periods of its greatest prosperity numbered over 300. It was especially noted for its library and school, where letters, the fine arts, the sciences, and above all calligraphy, were cultivated.
One of the most notable of its early copyists was Saint Harduin (Haduin), a celebrated mathematician (died 811) who wrote with his own hand four copies of the
Gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
, one of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters we ...
, three sacramentaries, and many other volumes of homilies and lives of the saints, besides numerous mathematical works. The ''Capitularia regum Francorum'', a collection of royal
capitularies
A capitulary (Medieval Latin ) was a series of legislative or administrative acts emanating from the Frankish court of the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, especially that of Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Romans in the west since the ...
, was compiled under Abbot Ansegisus in the 9th century, who also commissioned a chronicle of the abbey, the ''
Gesta abbatum Fontanellensium
The ''Gesta abbatum Fontanellensium'' (Deeds of the Abbots of Fontenelle), also called the ''Gesta sanctorum patrum Fontanellensis coenobii'' (Deeds of the Holy Fathers of the Monastery of Fontenelle), is an anonymous Latin chronicle of the Abbey ...
''. The monks of Fontenelle enjoyed many rights and privileges, among which were exemption from all river-tolls on the
, and the right to exact taxes in the town of Caudebec. The charter dated 1319 in which were enumerated their chief privileges, was confirmed by
Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
and Normandy in 1420, and by the Council of Basle in 1436.
Some of the burials at the Abbey are
*Saint Condedus (Conde), a 7th-century exile from England who became a monk
*Saint Wando, Abbot, died around 756 AD
*Saint Fulk of Fontenelle, 21st Abbot of Fontenelle
*Saint Harduin of Fontenelle, died c. 811 AD
*Saint Bagnus (Bagne), a monk, then
Bishop of Therouanne
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, then Abbot of Fontenelle later in life. Died c. 710
*Saint Girald, a monk and then the Abbot of Saint Arnoul. He was asked by the Duke of Normandy to be the Abbot of Fontenelle. He was very exacting and was later murdered by one of his monks
*Dom
Joseph Pothier Dom Joseph Pothier, O.S.B. (1835–1923) was a worldwide known French prelate, liturgist and scholar who reconstituted the Gregorian chant.
Benedictine life
Born in 1835 at Bouzemont, France, Dom Joseph Pothier was ordained a priest in the diocese ...
, Abbot of St Wandrille Abbey and scholar who reconstituted the
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...
.
Decline and suppression
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 ...
s were introduced at Fontenelle in the 16th century and as a result the prosperity of the abbey began to decline. In 1631 the central tower of the church suddenly fell, ruining all the adjacent parts, but fortunately without injuring the beautiful cloisters or the conventual buildings.
It was just at this time that the newly formed
Congregation of Saint 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), ...
was reviving the monasticism of France, and the commendatory abbot Ferdinand de Neufville invited them to take over the abbey and do for it what he himself was unable to accomplish. They accepted the offer, and in 1636 began major building works. Not only did they restore the damaged portion of the church, but they added new wings and gateways and also built a great chapter-hall for the meetings of the general chapter of the Maurist congregation. They gave the abbey new life, which lasted for the next hundred and fifty years.
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 ...
in 1791 Fontenelle was suppressed, and in the following year the property was sold by auction. The church was partially demolished, but the rest of the buildings served for some time as a factory and later passed into the possession of the de Stacpoole family, to be turned to domestic uses.
Second foundation
George Stanislaus, 3rd Duke de Stacpoole, who had become a priest and a domestic prelate of the pope, and who lived at Fontenelle until his death in 1896, restored the entire property to the French
Benedictines
, 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 ...
(
Solesmes Congregation The Solesmes Congregation is an association of monasteries within the Benedictine Confederation headed by the Abbey of Solesmes.
History
The congregation was founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the French Benedictine Congregation, with the the ...
), and a colony of monks from
Ligugé Abbey
Ligugé Abbey, formally called the Abbey of St. Martin of Ligugé (french: Abbaye Saint-Martin de Ligugé), is a French Benedictine monastery in the Commune of Ligugé, located in the Department of Vienne. Dating to the 4th century, it is the sit ...
settled there in 1893, under
Joseph Pothier Dom Joseph Pothier, O.S.B. (1835–1923) was a worldwide known French prelate, liturgist and scholar who reconstituted the Gregorian chant.
Benedictine life
Born in 1835 at Bouzemont, France, Dom Joseph Pothier was ordained a priest in the diocese ...
as superior. Dom Pothier, a scholar who reconstituted the
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...
and one of the most well-known Benedictines of the world, later was elected abbot of Saint Wandrille, becoming upon his installation on 24 July 1898 its first abbot since the French Revolution and its first regular abbot since the 16th century.
This community was expelled under the "Association Laws" by the French government in 1901, and spent years in Belgium until they were able to return on 26 January 1931, where they have remained until the present.
From 1907 until 1914, the abbey was rented by the Belgian writer
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in ...
, who lived there during the warmer months of the year with his lover,
Georgette Leblanc
Georgette Leblanc (8 February 1869, Rouen – 27 October 1941, Le Cannet) was a French operatic soprano, actress, author, and the sister of novelist Maurice Leblanc. She became particularly associated with the works of Jules Massenet and w ...
. During the official visit of the British royal family to France, Queen Mary visited the monastery on 12 July 1917.
Buildings
Besides the chief basilica Saint Wandrille built seven other churches or oratories both inside and outside the monastic enclosure. All of these have either perished in the course of time, or been replaced by others of later date, except for the chapel of St
Saturnin
Saint Saturnin of Toulouse ( la, Saturninus, oc, Sarnin, french: Saturnin, Sernin, ca, Serni, Sadurní, gl, Sadurninho and pt, Saturnino, Sadurninho, eu, Satordi, Saturdi, Zernin, and es, Saturnino, Serenín, Cernín) was one of the ''" ...
, which stands on the hillside overlooking the abbey. It is one of the most ancient ecclesiastical buildings now existing and, though restored from time to time, is still substantially the original construction of Saint Wandrille. It is cruciform, with a central tower and eastern apse, and is a unique example of a 7th-century chapel.
In 1954, in the course of a treasure hunt, some young local scouts discovered three buried urns near at wall close to the chapel. The urns contained a total of about 500 gold coins, the latest dated 1748. The treasure was split between the abbey, as the property owner, and the parents of the boys. The abbey sold it share and used the proceeds to rebuild the outbuildings that had burned downed shortly after.
The parish church of the village of
Saint-Wandrille-Rançon
Saint-Wandrille-Rançon () is a former commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north west France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Rives-en-Seine.Louis Lebrun, martyred in 1794 during the Revolution. All have their own feast days, but 1 March (also the date of the foundation) is the feast of all the saints of Fontenelle.
The present abbot, Dom Nault (succeeding to Dom Pierre Massein in 2009), is the 82nd in line from Saint Wandrille to hold the position.
Lambert of Lyon Saint Lambertus (Lambert, Landebertus), (625-688), Abbot of Abbey of Fontenelle and Bishop of Lyon (678-688). His feast day is celebrated on 14 April. He was son of Erlebert (son of Charibert de Haspengau) and so nephew of Robert I, Bishop of To ...
, 668–678, later bishop of Lyon
* Ansbert of Rouen, 678–690, bishop of Rouen
* Saint Hildebert I, 694-701
* Saint Bain, 701-710
* Saint Bénigne, 710–716, and 719-724
* Saint Wandon, 716–719, and 747-754
* Hugh of Champagne, 719-723
* Saint Landon, 732-735
* Teutsind, abbot of Fontenelle and Saint Martin, Tours, 735–741.
* Wido,
lay abbot
Lay abbot ( la, abbatocomes, abbas laicus, abbas miles, ) is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitle ...
, also abbot of Saint-Vaast, 742-744
* Rainfroy, 744–748, archbishop of Rouen
* Blessed Austrulfus, 748-753
* Witlaïc, 753-787
*
Saint Gervold Saint Gervold (or Girowald, or Gerwald, or Gerbaud) is a monk, diplomat of Charlemagne, bishop of Evreux around 785, and abbot of Saint Wandrille from 787. He died in 806 or 807.
He was the uncle of Saint Ansegisus whom he tonsured and clerked ar ...
, previously
bishop of Évreux
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, 787-806
* Trasaire, 806-817
* Hildebert II, 817-818
*
Einhard
Einhard (also Eginhard or Einhart; la, E(g)inhardus; 775 – 14 March 840) was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the ''Vita ...
, lay abbot, 818-823
*
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 ...
, 823-833
* Joseph I, 833–834, again in 841
* Saint Foulques, 834-841
* Herimbert, 841-850
* Louis (abbot of Saint-Denis) (d. 9 January 867; relative and arch-chancellor of
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
), 850-867
* vacant (), 867-886
* Ebles, 886-892
* Womar, 950-960
* Maynard, who left Saint Wandrille to become the first abbot of
Mont-Saint-Michel
Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France.
The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and i ...
, 960-966
* ?
* Ensulbert or Enjoubert, c. 980-993
* ?
* Saint Gerard, 1006-1029
* Saint Gradulphe, 1029-1048
* Robert I, 1048-1063
* Saint Gerbert, 1063-1089
* Lanfranc, nephew of Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury, 1089-1091
* Gerard II (1091-1125)
* Alain (1125-1137)
* Saint Gautier (1137-1150)
* Roger (1150-1165)
* Anfroy (1165-1178)
* Gautier II (1178-1187)
* Geoffroy I (1187-1193)
* Robert II (1193-1194)
* Reginald (1194-1207)
* Robert III de Montivilliers (1207-1219)
* Guillaume I de Bray (1219-1235)
* Guillaume de Suille, elected in 1235
* Robert IV d'Hautonne, 1235-1244
* Pierre Mauviel, 1244-1254
* Geoffroy II de Nointot, 1254-1288
* Guillaume II de Norville, 1288-1304
* Guillaume III de La Douillé, 1304-1342
* Jean I de Saint-Léger, 1342-1344
* Richard de Chantemerle, 1344-1345
* Robert V Balbet, 1345-1362
* Geoffroy III Savary, 1362-1367
* Geoffroy IV de Hotot, 1367-1389
* Jean II de Rochois, 1389-1412
* Guillaume de Hotot, elected in 1410
* Jean III de Bouquetot, bishop of Bayeux, 1412-1418
*
Jean Langret
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux (Latin: ''Dioecesis Baiocensis et Lexoviensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Bayeux et Lisieux'') is a diocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is coextensive with the Department of Calvados and is ...
, beneficiary abbot, 1418-1419
* Nicolas Lovier, beneficiary abbot, 1419
* Guillaume IV Ferrechat, 1419-1430
* Jean IV de Bourbon, 1431-1444
* Jean de Brametot, 1444-1483
* Cardinal
André d'Espinay André d'Espinay (died 1500) (called the Cardinal of Bordeaux or the Cardinal of Lyon) was a French Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal.
Biography
André d'Espinay was born in Champeaux, Ille-et-Vilaine, ca. 1451, the son of Richard d'Espinay (c ...
, commendatory abbot,
archbishop of Bordeaux
The Archdiocese of Bordeaux (–Bazas) (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Burdigalensis (–Bazensis)''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Bordeaux (–Bazas)''; Occitan: ''Archidiocèsi de Bordèu (–Vasats)'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or a ...
, 1483-1500
* Urbain de Fiesque, papal appointee, 1483-1485
* Jean VI Mallet, elected in 1500, not confirmed
* Philip of Cleves, commendatory abbot, 1502-1505
* Jacques Hommet, last regular abbot, 1505-1523
* François Guillaume de Castelnau-Clermont-Lodève, papal appointee, rejected
* Claude de Poitiers, commendatory abbot, 1523-1546
* Michel Bayard, commendatory abbot, 1546-1565
* Gilles Duret, temporary governor, 1565-1567
* Pierre II Gourreau, commendatory abbot, 1567-1569
* Cardinal Charles de Bourbon, commendatory abbot, 1569-1578
* Gilles de Vaugirault, commendatory abbot, 1578-1585
* Nicolas de Neufville, commendatory abbot, 1585-1616
*
Camille de Neufville de Villeroy Camille de Neufville de Villeroy (22 August 1606, Rome - 3 June 1693, Lyon) was the archbishop and count of Lyon and primate of the Gauls from 1653 to 1693. He was the second of five sons of Charles I de Neufville de Villeroy, marquis d'Halincour ...
Frédéric Jérôme de La Rochefoucauld
Frédéric Jérôme de La Rochefoucauld (1701–1757) was a French cardinal.
1701 births
1757 deaths
18th-century French cardinals
Archbishops of Bourges
People of the Ancien Régime
{{France-reli-bio-stub ...
After the restoration of religious life in 1894, Dom Jean-Martial Besse and Dom François Chamard were named superiors, after which Dom Joseph Bourigaud, the abbot of
Ligugé Abbey
Ligugé Abbey, formally called the Abbey of St. Martin of Ligugé (french: Abbaye Saint-Martin de Ligugé), is a French Benedictine monastery in the Commune of Ligugé, located in the Department of Vienne. Dating to the 4th century, it is the sit ...
, was named apostolic administrator in 1895 until the nomination of an abbot in 1898.
* Dom
Joseph Pothier Dom Joseph Pothier, O.S.B. (1835–1923) was a worldwide known French prelate, liturgist and scholar who reconstituted the Gregorian chant.
Benedictine life
Born in 1835 at Bouzemont, France, Dom Joseph Pothier was ordained a priest in the diocese ...
, O.S.B., sub-prior of
Solesmes Abbey
Solesmes Abbey or St. Peter's Abbey, Solesmes (''Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes'') is a Benedictine monastery in Solesmes (Sarthe, France), famous as the source of the restoration of Benedictine monastic life in the country under Dom Prosper Gu ...
, then prior of Ligugé, superior (1895-1898) and abbot of Saint-Wandrille 1898–1923 (the first abbot since the abbey was suppressed in the French Revolution and the first regular abbot since Jacques Hommet in the 16th century)
* Dom Jean-Louis Pierdait, O.S.B., claustral prior of
Silos Abbey
Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey ( es, Abadía del Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos) is a Benedictine monastery in the village of Santo Domingo de Silos in the southern part of Burgos Province in northern Spain. The monastery is named after the e ...
, coadjutor of Dom Pothier (1920-1923), abbot 1923–1942
* Dom Gabriel Gonthard, O.S.B., abbot 1943–1962
* Dom Ignace Dalle, O.S.B., abbot 1962–1969
* Dom Antoine Levasseur, O.S.B., abbot 1969–1996
* Dom Pierre III Massein, O.S.B., abbot 1996–2009
* Dom
Jean-Charles Nault
Jean-Charles and Jean-Carles is a French masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Jean Charles, Chevalier Folard (1669–1752), French soldier and military author
* Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand (1817–1891), French engineer
* ...
, O.S.B., abbot from 2009
Priors
*
Genesius of Lyon
Saint Genesius of Lyon (Genestus, Genes; died 679) was the 37th Archbishop of Lyon.
Life
He was a native of France and became a religious and abbot (though not of Fontenelle Abbey), attached to the court and camp of Clovis II. There he acted as c ...
, prior around 650, later almoner of Saint Bathilde, wife of
Clovis II
Clovis II (633 – 657) was King of Neustria and Burgundy, having succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her deat ...
* Guillaume Girard, prior of
Jumièges Abbey
Jumièges Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery, situated in the commune of Jumièges in the Seine-Maritime ''département'', in Normandy, France.
History
Around 654 the abbey was founded on a gift of forested land belonging to the royal fisc ...
, and administrator of Saint-Wandrille, 1636
* Philippe Codebret, sub-prior, 1636
* Paul de Riveri, 1636–1637
* Charles Fuscien de Lattre, 1637–1639
* Hervé Philibert Cotelle, 1639–1645
* Jacques Aicadre Picard, 1645–1651
* Guillaume Benoît Bonté, 1651–1652
* Jean Timothée Bourgeois, 1652–1656
* Jean Bernard Hamelin, 1656–1660
* Martin Bruno Valles, 1660–1663
* Jean Matthieu Jouault, 1663–1666
* Vincent Humery, 1666–1669
* René Anselme des Rousseaux, 1669–1670
* Edme du Monceau, sub-prior, 1669–1670
* Pierre Laurent Hunault, 1670–1674
* Pierre Boniface Le Tan, 1674–1675
* Claude Carrel, 1675–1678
* Marc Rivard, 1678–1684
* Pierre Noblet, 1684
* Gabriel Dudan, 1684–1687
* Guillaume Hue, 1687–1693
* Robert Deslandes, 1693
* Nicolas Sacquespée, 1693–1696
* Gabriel Pouget, 1696–1699
* Claude Hémin, 1699–1705
* Jean-Baptiste Jouault, 1705
* Jacques Joseph Le Paulmier, 1705–1711
* Pierre Chevillart, 1711–1714
* Martin Filland, 1714–1717
* Louis Clouet, 1717–1723
* François L'héritier, 1723–1729
* Jean Foulques, 1729–1733
* Louis Barbe, 1733-1739 and 1740–1745
* Pierre Eudes, 1739–1740
* Jean Lefebvre, 1745–1748
* Jacques Martin Le Sec, 1748–1752
* Jean-Baptiste Duval, 1752–1757
* François René Desmares, 1757–1761
* Nicolas Faverotte, 1761–1768
* Louis Valincourt, 1768-1769 and 1775–1778
* Noël Nicolas Bourdon, 1769–1775
* Philippe Nicolas Dupont, 1778–1781
* Jean François Daspres, 1781–1783
* Mathurin François Brissier, sub-prior, 1783
* Alexandre-Jean Ruault, 1783-1790
* Dom Joseph Pothier, 1895
See also
*
List of Carolingian monasteries
This is a partial list of monasteries of the Carolingian Empire, in Western Europe around the year 800.
{, class="wikitable"
! Abbey
! Location (present-day)
! Foundation date (traditional)
! Founder (traditional)
, -
, Altomünster Abbey
, Alto ...
*
Carolingian architecture
Carolingian architecture is the style of north European Pre-Romanesque architecture belonging to the period of the Carolingian Renaissance of the late 8th and 9th centuries, when the Carolingian dynasty dominated west European politics. It was ...
*
Carolingian art
Carolingian art comes from the Frankish Empire in the period of roughly 120 years from about 780 to 900—during the reign of Charlemagne and his immediate heirs—popularly known as the Carolingian Renaissance. The art was produced by and for the ...
References
Sources
*
Patrick Leigh Fermor
Sir Patrick Michael Leigh Fermor (11 February 1915 – 10 June 2011) was an English writer, scholar, soldier and polyglot. He played a prominent role in the Cretan resistance during the Second World War, and was widely seen as Britain's greates ...
(2007). ''
A Time to Keep Silence
''A Time to Keep Silence'' (1953) is a travel book by British author Patrick Leigh Fermor. It describes Fermor's sojourns in monasteries across Europe, and is praised by William Dalrymple as a "sublime masterpiece".
This was an early publicat ...
''. New York: NYRB. (Originally published: London: Queen Anne Press, 1953).