Sainte-Marie Abbey (Arles-sur-Tech)

The Sainte-Marie Abbey in Arles-sur-Tech

The arcades in the cloister of the Sainte-Marie Abbey

The holy tomb in the Sainte-Marie Abbey

The east portal of the Sainte-Marie abbey church

The Cross of the Grain (La Creu del Gra)

The Abbey of Sainte-Marie (also Sainte-Marie-de-Vallespir , Catalan Abadia de Santa Maria d'Arles ) is located in the southern French commune of Arles-sur-Tech in the Occitania region in the Pyrénées-Orientales department .

history

The Benedictine abbey was founded in 778 by Castellanus, a Spanish monk, under the protection of Charlemagne . The ruins of the Roman baths of Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda served as the first monastery buildings . In order to get more protection from raids and looting (especially by the Normans ) , the location was moved to the current location in the 9th century under the direction of Abbot Sunifred, a member of the Catalan count family.

In the 11th century , the abbey was expanded to include a fortification with four towers.

Under the protection of the Counts of Barcelona and later the King of Aragon , the abbey experienced a remarkable boom, which was followed by constant decline.

At the time of the French Revolution in 1789, the last six monks left the monastery. The abbey church became a parish church at the request of the population. Other properties and outbuildings of the abbey were sold.

Today, early Romanesque , Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque influences can be seen on the buildings of the abbey.

Abbey church

The three-aisled abbey church was consecrated in 1046.

A special feature is the orientation of the church to the west. There a kind of counter- sanctuary developed with three apses . Above the portal to the east is a chapel dedicated to St. Michael and the Archangels with frescoes from the 12th century .

The church, originally built with a wooden roof, was given a pointed arch vault in the 12th century. After its completion, the church was consecrated for the second time in 1157. The present state dates from this time.

Chapels

There are numerous chapels for the adoration of saints embedded in the outer walls of the abbey church.

Chapel of Saints Abdon and Sennen

The altar in the chapel from 1647 is the work of the sculptor Llàtzer Tremullas , who created many large altars in Roussillon. The relief panels on the altar illustrate the sufferings of the two Persian martyrs Abdon and Sennen .

Rosary Chapel

In the chapel there is the altar of St. Peter from the 18th century, which was originally intended for the southern choir chapel, a baptismal font from the 12th century and a mural from the 14th century.

Northern choir chapel

The Christ altar is housed in the north choir chapel, a baroque altar from the 18th century with a canopy. The crucifix in the chapel has been used for the nocturnal Good Friday procession since the 18th century .

Southern choir chapel

Originally the chapel was dedicated to Saint Peter . Today you can find representations of the holy grave, the suffering Mother of God , the cross of Christ with the instruments of the passion and the humiliated Jesus Christ .

Chapel of St. Benedict

The chapel was dedicated to Saint Benedict , the founder of the Benedictine order.

On the altar from 1644 is a sculpture of Saint Benedict in the center, flanked by Saints Stephen and Isidore of Seville . The predella shows a dressing ceremony for the novices of the Benedictine order.

Chapel of St. Anthony

On the altar from 1743 is a sculpture of Saint Anthony in the middle , flanked by Saints Sebastian and Rochus of Montpellier , both patron saints against the plague . The predella shows Saint Magdalena . The keystone and consoles of the chapel are decorated with the tools of Abbot Jakob, who built the southern choir chapel.

Chapel of St. Joseph

On the altar from the 13th century is a sculpture of Saint Joseph in the middle , flanked by Saints Cosmas and Damian . The twin brothers Cosmas and Damian were doctors and martyrs who treated the sick free of charge. The predella shows Saint George , who is one of the 14 helpers in need and is also the patron saint of Catalonia .

Cloister

The present cloister was built at the time of Abbot Ramon Desbac (1261–1303) from white Céret marble and stone from the province of Girona .

The Gothic pointed arch can be found in the arcade arches, supported by slender, double columns, as well as in the portal and the two tracery windows to the chapter house on the east side of the cloister.

A masterpiece of Catalan blacksmithing of the 16th century, the Cross of the Corn ( La Creu del Gra ), which originally stood at the entrance to Arles-sur-Tech, is now at the center of the cloister. The name of the cross is explained by the iron ball built into the shaft.

East facade

The portal of the east facade has a granite lintel, which probably comes from a previous church from the 9th century.

Under an arched cornice - an early forerunner of the later tympana - with floral ornaments and a lion at each end point, there is a relief representation of the Majestas Domini from the 11th century, Christ enthroned in a mandorla , surrounded by the four evangelist symbols .

The holy tomb

In the outer area in front of the east facade there is an early Christian stone sarcophagus from the 4th century , which, according to local tradition, arrived in Arles-sur-Tech over 1,000 years ago together with the relics of the holy martyrs Abdon and Sennen . The related reports date from the 10th century.

A document from 1591 reported that the sarcophagus was mysteriously filled with water.

In the masonry above the sarcophagus there is a marble slab with a relief representation of the liege lord of Tallet, Wilhelm Gaucelm . The sculpture, dating from the first decade of the 13th century, is attributed to the sculptor Ramon von Bianya .