Strata Marcella Abbey
| Cistercian Abbey Strata Marcella | |
|---|---|
 Memorial plaque on the site of the former monastery |
|
| location |
 United Kingdom of Wales
|
| Coordinates: | 52 ° 41 ′ 9 ″ N , 3 ° 6 ′ 29 ″ W |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
409 |
| founding year | 1170 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1536 |
| Mother monastery | Whitland Abbey |
| Primary Abbey | Clairvaux Monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
Valle Crucis Abbey (1201) |
Strata Marcella Abbey (Welsh: Ystrad Farchel or Ystrad Marchell) was a Cistercian abbey in Wales . The monastery was about 3 km northeast of Welshpool (Y Trallwng) in County Powys on the A 483 road to Oswestry , on the west bank of the River Severn .
history
The abbey was founded in 1170 by the Prince of South Powys Owain Cyfeiliog , who is said to have entered the monastery as a monk and died there, as a daughter monastery of Whitland Abbey and thus belonged to the affiliation of Clairvaux Primary Abbey . As a Welsh foundation, it initially stood in opposition to the Anglo-Normans. After only two years, the monastery is said to have been moved to its later location. Valle Crucis Abbey near Llangollen was founded by Stata Marcella in 1201 . The abbey was known for its unethical life. The first abbot, Enoch, founded a nunnery in Llansantffraed ( Llanllugan Abbey ?) And ran away with a nun, but returned as a penitent to his abbotial dignity (New). In 1328 the monastery, which was impoverished in the 14th century, with the mother monastery Whitland was subordinated to the monastery Buildwas Abbey from the filiation of monastery Savigny ; around the same time (1332) the Welsh monks, who had fallen to six, were replaced by English ones. The annual income of the monastery before it was confiscated was estimated at £ 64 and the number of monks was only four. The monastery is said to have been destroyed shortly after 1400 and not rebuilt. In 1536 it was withdrawn from the crown. Excavations were carried out in 1890, but they did not reveal the complete plan of the complex. The monastery is owned by the Earl of Powis .
Plant and buildings
Nothing of the system has survived above the ground. The roughly 60 m long church, possibly extended by four bays around 1240, was one of the largest in Wales. Incidentally, the complex seems to have corresponded to the Bernardine plan (rectangular choir, transept, three-aisled nave). The enclosure was in the south of the church. The baptism in Buttington Church is said to be a capital from the chapter house.
literature
- Anthony New: A guide to the Abbeys of England and Wales. Constable & Company, London 1985, ISBN 0-09-463520-X , pp. 367-368, with a plan.
Web links
- Certosa di Firenze website
- Website about the abbey
- archival information with references
- small website about the monastery ( Memento from January 7th 2009 in the Internet Archive )