The Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is a former

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery in central France, dedicated to its founder Saint

Germain of Auxerre Germanus of Auxerre (; ; ; 378 – c. 442–448 AD) was a western Roman clergyman who was bishop of Autissiodorum in Late Antique Gaul. He abandoned a career as a high-ranking government official to devote his formidable energy towards the pr ...

, the

bishop of Auxerre The diocese of Auxerre () is a former French Roman Catholic diocese. Its historical episcopal see was in the city of Auxerre in Burgundy, now part of eastern France. Currently the non-metropolitan Archbishop of Sens, ordinary of the diocese of S ...

, who died in 448. It was founded on the site of an oratory built by Germanus in honor of Saint Maurice.

History

Bishop Germain was buried in the Oratory of

Saint Maurice Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, Maurits, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptians, Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Roman Empire, Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favourite and most widely venerated saints of tha ...

, which he had built. About the year 500, it was rebuilt as a basilica, by Queen Clotilda, wife of Clovis, in honor of the bishop. The tomb was below the church, under the apse. A monastery was established that followed the Benedictine rule.''Historia Selebiensis Monasterii'', (Janet Burton, Lynda Lockyer, eds.), OUP Oxford, 2013, p. xxii
In 850 Abbot Conrad, brother-in-law of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...

, had a crypt built. Attached to the crypt was a circular oratory. Conrad's nephew, Emperor

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, 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 series of civil wars during t ...

, was present at the translation of the relics of Germanus. The abbey reached the apex of its cultural importance during the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...

era; the source for its early history is an account of the ''Miracula Sancti Germani Episcopi Autissiodorensis'' ("Miracles of Saint Germain, Bishop of Auxerre") written before ''ca''. 880. The earliest surviving architectural remains are also of the ninth century. The abbey had a noted school. From 876 to 883

Remigius of Auxerre Remigius (Remi) of Auxerre (; c. 841 – 908) was a Benedictine monk during the Carolingian period, a teacher of Latin grammar, and a prolific author of commentaries on classical Greek and Latin texts. He is also accredited with collecting and co ...

was master of the school. Later,

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

studied there after completing his law courses in Bologna.Barlow
Becket, Thomas (1120?–1170)
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' Monk and chronicler,

Rodulfus Glaber Rodulfus (or Radulfus or Raoul Glaber; 985–1047), was an 11th-century Benedictine chronicler. Life Glaber was born in 985 in Burgundy. At the behest of his uncle, a monk at Saint-Léger-de-Champeaux (now Saint-Léger-Triey, Glaber was sent to ...

, spent time at St Germain, where, he said, foreign monks were always accepted with respect. The abbey was twice reformed, first by

Majolus of Cluny Majolus of Cluny (Maieul, Mayeul, Mayeule, Mayol) (c. 906 – May 11, 994) was the fourth Abbey of Cluny, abbot of Cluny. Majolus was very active in reforming individual communities of monks and canons; first, as a personal commission, requested ...

and his disciple Heldric, at the request of

Henry I, Duke of Burgundy Henry I (946 – 15 October 1002), called the Great, was Duke of Burgundy from 965 to his death and Count of Nevers through his first marriage. He is sometimes known as Odo-Henry or Otto-Henry (in French ''Eudes-Henri''), since his birth name wa ...

, and in 1029 by the

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), a ...

.Goyau, Georges. "Sens." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 25 June 2019 A fire consumed much of the abbey in 1064; the Merovingian nave was rebuilt. In 1069, monks from St. Germain founded

Selby Abbey Selby is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, Yorkshire, River Ouse. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census, it had a population of 17,193. The town w ...

in North Yorkshire. Napoleon turned the establishment into a hospital. In 1927, beneath the 17th-century frescoed plaster walls of the crypt, were discovered ninth-century wall frescoes, the only surviving large-scale paintings of their date in France to compare to the

illuminated manuscripts An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

. During the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

, several bays of 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 ...

were demolished and the secularized abbey was used as a hospital. The former nave extended beneath the present forecourt. In the late twentieth century the abbey's residential and service buildings were remodeled as a museum, presenting prehistoric,

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

and medieval finds from Auxerre. An exhibition in 1990 brought the abbey's cultural impact into focus. The former abbey church remains in use for worship at stated times.

Known abbots

* ? - 622: Palladius of Auxerre * 800? - 840?: Saint Abbo, Bishop of Auxerre († December 3, 860) * 850? - †864:

Conrad I, Count of Auxerre Conrad the Elder (died about 864) was a prominent Nobility, noble in the Carolingian Empire, and member of the Elder House of Welf. He was count of several County, counties in Alamannia, most notably the counties of Argengau and Linzgau, north of ...

* .. - 886? : Abbot Hugh († May 12, 886) * 894-921: Richard Duke of Bourgogne11. ? -? : Heldric7,12 († 999), contemporary of St. Sévin

Bishop of Sens The Archdiocese of Sens and Auxerre (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Senonensis et Antissiodorensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Sens et Auxerre'') is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The archdiocese comprises the department of Yonn ...

. * 986 - 1009: Heldric of Cluny * 1010-1020: Achard * 1020 - 1032: Theobold * 1032 - 1052: Odo of Auxerre * 1052 - 1064: Prior Boso * 1064 - 1074: Walter from

Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire (, literally ''Saint-Benoît on Loire'') is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Monastery This town hosts the '' Abbaye de Fleury'', also known as the ''Abbaye de Saint Benoît'' (Saint Benedic ...

* 1075 - 1085: Roland * 1085 - 1096: Guibert * 1096-1100: Robert * 1100-1115: Hugues de Montaigu, son of Dalmace Semur said Jeune14 approve this year a charter for the benefit of the Priory of Saint-Marcel Fleurey-sur-Ouche, signed by Duke Hugh II Bourgogne15. It will be bishop of Auxerre. * 1115 - 1148: Gervais * 1148 - 1174: Harduin * 1174 - 1188: Humbert * 1188 - 1208: Rudolph * 1st half of the thirteenth century: Renaud Jocenal (alive May 13, 1222) * 1285 - 1309: Guy Munois * 1309 - 1334: Left Dignon Chéu * 1334 - 1352: Étienne 1 Chitry * 1352 - 1362: William Grimoard, future

Pope Urban V Pope Urban V (; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death, in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the only Avignon pope ...

Webster, Douglas Raymund. "Pope Bl. Urban V"
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 25 June 2019 * 1362 - 1381: Stephen II Chitry * 1381 - 1408: Hugues V of Ballore * 1409 - 1422: John II of Nanton * 1422/1423 - 1453: Hervé de Lugny * 1453 - 1495: Hugues VI Tyard or Thiard * 1542: Louis Lorraine17 * 1731: Dom Leonardo Le Texier, Grand Prior (1731). * 1783: Dom Rosman

Notes

References

*Christian Sapin, ''La Bourgogne préromane'' (Paris, 1986), pp. 41–63 (on the early building project) *''Abbaye Saint-Germain d'Auxerre: intellectuels et artistes dans l'Europe carolingienne, IXe - XIe siecles'' (Auxerre, 1990) Exhibition catalogue. *''Auxerre et les prémices de l'art roman'' (Auxerre, 1999) Exhibition catalogue. *Noëlle Deflou-Leca, Saint-Germain d'Auxerre et ses dépendances (Ve-XIIIe siècle), PSE, 2010, p773. *Constance Britain-Bouchard, "Sword, Miter and Cloister", Cornell University Press 1987

External links

Culture.gouv.fr: Saint-Germain d'Auxerre

{{DEFAULTSORT:Auxerre, Saint-Germain d' Benedictine monasteries in France 5th-century establishments in sub-Roman Gaul 18th-century disestablishments in France Monasteries dissolved during the French Revolution Buildings and structures in Yonne

History

Known abbots

See also

Notes

References

External links