Saint-Hilaire Abbey (Aude)
The former Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire in Saint-Hilaire , a municipality in the Aude department in the French region of Occitania , is documented as early as the 9th century. The curtain wall that surrounded the abbey, the former abbey church from the 13th century consecrated to the Assumption of Mary , which is now used as a parish church , the cloister from the 14th century, two refectories , the abbot's apartment with a painted wooden beam ceiling from the 16th century have been preserved Century and storerooms carved into the rock. A marble relief from the 12th century, the so-called sarcophagus of St. Saturninus , which is attributed to the Master of Cabestany , is kept in the church. In 1840 the abbey church and in 1846 the cloister were added to the list of monuments historiques .
history
The abbey was first mentioned in writing in 825 in a document in which Emperor Ludwig the Pious confirmed the monks' right to choose their abbot themselves according to the rule of St. Benedict . Originally the monastery was consecrated to Saint Saturninus , the first bishop of Toulouse . In 970 the remains of St. Hilary (Hilaire), who was the first bishop of Carcassonne in the 6th century, were discovered in the church and the abbey was placed under his patronage .
Until the beginning of the 13th century, Saint-Hilaire was under the protection of the Counts of Carcassonne . During the wars against the Cathars , the monks were accused of heresy and placed under the Dominicans of the Prouille monastery , which gave the Cathars cause for plunder and devastation. The abbey church and the cloister were rebuilt under Abbots Guillaume (1237-1260) and Bertrand de Touron (1323-1340).
In the 14th century, 29 monks lived in Saint-Hilaire. However, the income of the monastery was insufficient, which is why the Bishop of Carcassonne limited their number to 20. In the 15th century the abbey suffered from the consequences of the Hundred Years War and the plague . For the year 1531 it is said that the sparkling wine Blanquette de Limoux was first produced in the monastery .
In the 16th century the abbey was coming . At the beginning of the 18th century the monastery had only seven monks and in the middle of the 18th century it was closed. From 1758 the abbey church took over the function of the parish church, which had been given up in favor of the abbey church. During the French Revolution , the former convent buildings were sold as a national property.
Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church
The oldest part of the former abbey church is the semicircular apse , which was built at the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century. It is pierced by three arched windows that were enlarged in the 19th century. The arms of the transept open into semicircular apses in the east. The sacristy was later built on the site of the northern side apse . The single-nave nave extends only over two bays , which, like the crossing , are covered with ribbed vaults. The keystones of the vaults are carved with the symbols of the Trinity , the Lamb of God , the hand of God and the dove of the Holy Spirit (which is no longer recognizable today).
Sarcophagus of Saint Saturninus
The so-called sarcophagus of St. Saturninus is probably an altar antependium . The relief made of white Pyrenees marble is attributed to the Master of Cabestany , a sculptor who is unknown by name and who worked in the second half of the 12th century.
On the right narrow side is Saturninus, who holds the bishop's staff in his right hand, surrounded by two martyrs, the holy Honest and the holy Papoul. On the narrow left side the burial of Saint Saturninus is depicted, from whose body his soul escapes in the form of a small child who is received by an angel. Women with ointment vessels sit under the saint's body.
Saturninus with the saints Honest and Papoul
Saturninus is dragged to death
Capture of Saint Saturninus
The front of the relief shows the capture of Saint Saturninus by four bearded men dressed in short tunics. Saturninus holds the open book of the Holy Scriptures in front of him. On the left, Saturninus is tied to a bull and dragged to death. The grimaces and animal heads at the bottom are interpreted as symbols of paganism .
Cloister
The cloister was built in the 14th century. Its ground plan has an irregular trapezoid shape. The galleries are formed by pointed arches that rest on slender double columns. The capitals are decorated with human heads, animals and foliage. The fountain bowl in the center of the cloister dates from the early 16th century. In the east gallery, a checkerboard pattern is carved into the base of the arcades, which probably served as a computing system.
Capital in the cloister
Capital in the cloister
Capital in the cloister
Chapter house and abbot's apartment
The east gallery leads to the chapter house , of which only one arched twin window has survived , and to the abbot's apartment. There the coats of arms of the 55 abbots of Saint-Hilaire are painted on the walls. On the wooden beamed ceiling from the 16th century there are scenes of hunting and love in addition to depictions of animals and flowers.
Refectories
From the south wing of the cloister there is access to the two refectories , the monks 'and the guests' refectory. Both halls are separated by a thick wall in which the reading pulpit is integrated. It is accessible through a narrow staircase and is covered by a ribbed vault.
Pantries
From the west wing of the cloister a staircase leads to the storage rooms, which are cut directly into the rock. Openings can be seen in the ceiling through which the farmers could deliver their harvest without coming into contact with the monks. In these cellars the monks first produced the sparkling wine Blanquette de Limoux in 1531 .
literature
- Jacques Lugand, Jean Nougaret, Robert Saint-Jean: Languedoc Roman . Zodiaque, 2nd edition, La Pierre-qui-Vire 1985, ISBN 2-7369-0017-0 , p. 45 and Pp. 357-359.
- Saint-Hilaire. Sant-Ilari. Cultural landmarks in the area around Carcassonne . Leaflet of the Service du Patrimoine et du Pays Cathare des Département Aude.
Web links
- Ancienne abbaye Saint-Hilaire in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire (German text, accessed February 17, 2014)
- Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire www.audecathare.fr (French, accessed February 17, 2014)
- Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire Architecture religieuse en occident (French, accessed February 17, 2014)
Coordinates: 43 ° 5 ′ 35.3 " N , 2 ° 18 ′ 29.4" E