Belleperche Abbey
| Belleperche Cistercian Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Belleperche Abbey |
|
| location |
 FranceRegion Okzitanien Tarn-et-Garonne |
| Coordinates: | 43 ° 59 '40 " N , 1 ° 7' 32" E |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
185 |
| founding year | before 1140 |
| Cistercian since | 1143 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1791 |
| Mother monastery | Clairvaux Monastery |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
no |
The monastery Belleperche (Bella pertica) is a former Cistercian abbey in the town of Cordes-Tolosannes in Tarn-et-Garonne region Occitania in France , 7 km south of Castelsarrasin and 20 km west of Montauban on the banks of the Garonne .
history
The monastery was donated by the d'Argombat family between 1130 and 1140 at a location around 10 km from its later location and joined the Cistercian order in 1143 as the daughter of the Clairvaux Primary Abbey . It was then moved to an allodial property on the banks of the Garonne. The monastery had eight grangia , including Angeville. The monastery operated viticulture, horse and cattle breeding. The first building was replaced by a new building on extensive substructures on the riverbank as early as 1230 . Belleperche became one of the most greeted monasteries in the south of France. In its heyday, the monastery had 60 to 80 monks. Its decline began with the Hundred Years War , which the Kommende introduced in 1454 continued. In 1563 a new abbey residence was built. Further damage occurred in the Wars of Religion in 1572. The restoration of the monastery lasted from 1604 to 1614 and was renewed again in the 17th century. The end of the monastery came with the French Revolution in 1791 and subsequently it was used as a castle, agricultural property and residential building. The buildings that were not needed were demolished or fell into disrepair. In 1982, the facility passed into the care of the General Council of the Department, which began restoration in 1993.
Buildings and plant
The church, which was demolished today and was consecrated in 1263, had an octagonal bell tower over the crossing, modeled on Saint-Sernin in Toulouse and with elaborate polychrome floor tiles, was 75 m long and 20 m wide. The six bays of the chapter house were vaulted between 1250 and 1255. The rectangular cloister measured around 46 by 38 m. The former monk's wing facing the river and a cloister gallery from the 18th century have been preserved.
literature
- Bernard Peugniez: Routier cistercien. Abbayes et sites. France, Belgique, Luxembourg, Suisse. Nouvelle édition augmentée. Editions Gaud, Moisenay 2001, ISBN 2-84080-044-6 , pp. 276-279.
- Jean-Michel Garric: Belleperche - au bord de la Garonne. In: Dossiers d'Archéologie. No. 234, 1998, ISSN 1141-7137 , pp. 14-15.