The Abbey of St. Martin 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 A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

Autun Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

Saône-et-Loire Saône-et-Loire (; Arpitan: ''Sona-et-Lêre'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the rivers Saône and Loire, between which it lies, in the country's central-eastern part. Saône-et-Loire is B ...

, France, to the northeast of the city just outside the city walls, on the right bank of the

Arroux The Arroux () is a river in central France. It is a right tributary of the Loire. It is long. Its source is east of Arnay-le-Duc, in Côte-d'Or. The Arroux flows generally south through the following departments and towns: * Côte-d'Or: Arna ...

and to the north of the Roman road from Autun to

Langres Langres () is a commune in France, commune in northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Haute-Marne, in the Regions of France, region of Grand Est. History As the capital ...

Beaune Beaune (; in Burgundian: ''Beane'') is widely considered to be the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and a major ...

and

Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...

.Roland Niaux, ''Saint-Pantaléon, abbaye de Saint-Martin''
online version)
/ref> Jacques-Gabriel Bulliot, ''Essai historique sur l'abbaye de Saint-Martin d'Autun'', Autun 1849, 2.vol. in-8°, 449 p., Société Éduenne
online version)
/ref>

History

The abbey was founded by Queen Brunhilda and the

bishop of Autun The Diocese of Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny) (Latin: ''Diocesis Aeduensis'', ''Dioecesis Augustodunensis (–Cabillonensis–Matisconensis–Cluniacensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Autun (–Chalon-sur-Saône–Mâcon–Cluny)''), m ...

, Saint Syagrius, in or around 589. Brunhilda was later buried there.BNF: Abbaye Saint-Martin, Autun, Saône-et-Loire
/ref> The new foundation was richly decorated and furnished, largely with marbles, mosaics and other items which Brunhilde took from neighbouring Gallo-Roman buildings. The abbey was however largely destroyed in 731 by invading

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

s. It was not rebuilt until 870, and then destroyed again in 880, doubtless by the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

. It was rebuilt again in 885 by

Charles the Fat Charles the Fat (839 – 13 January 888) was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 887. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandson of Charlemagne. He was t ...

. From 1058 it answered directly to the pope rather than to a bishop. At the latest from the time of this rebuilding, the abbey was also fortified. In 1570, it was pillaged by the troops of Admiral de Coligny, the fortifications having fallen into disrepair. In 1589 the ''

États de Bourgogne In Burgundy, under the Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France { ...

'' refused financial help to Nicolas Brulard, the then

commendatory abbot A commendatory abbot () 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 ecclesiastic, however, ...

, for the repair of the fortifications. The abbey was deserted soon afterwards and occupied by bandits: once they were expelled the fortifications were dismantled and the abbey left empty. The vacant and dilapidated premises were taken over by the reformist Congregation of St Maur in 1635 (or 1654), who repaired them, but not the fortifications. The abbey was entirely rebuilt between 1740 and 1752. It was suppressed in the French Revolution and sold off as national property in 1793, to be used as an armaments factory. A few years later it was almost entirely demolished apart from a few service buildings. The city authorities of Autun eventually acquired what remained and undertook restoration in 1976–77. The renovated buildings now operate under the name "Prieuré Saint-Martin" as a local government social centre, with rooms for hire.

References

External links

Gallica.bnf: Vue de l'abbaye de St Martin à Autun (drawing by Jean Baptiste Lallemand), 18th century
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autun Saint Martin Benedictine monasteries in France Buildings and structures in Saône-et-Loire