Monasteries in the Middle Ages - an essay on history. Monastery of Cluny Relations between the city and the monastery in medieval France

Original taken from matveychev_oleg to Europe, which is better not to know

Western values, which some now speak with a breath, have a rather long history of cannibalism. Cannibalism, fornication, homosexuality, necrophilia are not modern inventions introduced with Overton window technology. All this happened in Europe only a few hundred years ago...

Fornication

Champfleury wrote about the religious life of France in the Middle Ages:

Strange amusements took place in cathedrals and monasteries during the great feasts of the church in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Not only the lower clergy participate in cheerful songs and dances, especially at Easter and Christmas, but even the most important church dignitaries. The monasterians of the male monasteries then danced with the monasterians of the neighboring monasteries, and the bishops joined in their fun. The Erfurt chronicle even describes how one dignitary of the church indulged in such exercises that he died from a rush of blood to the head.

Dinner of medieval monks. Miniature in a 14th-century Bible (National Library of Paris)

In France, until the New Age (middle 17th century), pagan rites were preserved: “There was a pagan custom, preserved among Christians, to produce“ bleating ”, that is, singing and dancing, on holidays, because this habit of“ bleating ” remained from the observance of pagan rites. Only in 1212 did the Parisian cathedral forbid the monasterians to arrange "crazy holidays" in this form.

From crazy holidays, where they take the phallus, to abstain everywhere, and this we forbid the Monetarians and Monasterians all the more.

Thus, the Latin monks took an active part in the Saturnalia.

King Charles VII in 1430 again forbids in the cathedral at Troyes (Trojes) these religious "mad feasts" where "the phallus is offered up". Latin clerics took an active part in the "festivities".

Preacher Guillaume Pepin writes about the monks of his time:

Many unreformed clergymen, even those who were ordained to church, used to enter unreformed women's monasteries and indulge in the most unbridled dances and orgies with the nuns, day and night. I am silent about the rest, so as not to offend pious minds.

Champfleury continues: “On the walls of the halls of some ancient Christian churches, we are surprised to see images of the human genital organs, which are obsequiously displayed among the objects assigned for worship. Like an echo of ancient symbolism, such pornographic sculptures in temples are carved by stonemasons with amazing innocence. These phallic memories of antiquity, found in the dark halls of the cathedrals of central France, are especially numerous in the Gironde. Léo Drouin, the archaeologist of Bordeaux, has shown me curious specimens of shameless sculptures paraded in the old churches of his province, which he hides in the depths of his folders! But such an excess of modesty deprives us of important scientific knowledge. Recent historians, keeping silent about Christian representations of the sexual organs in some rooms of ancient churches, throw a veil over the idea of someone who would like to compare the monuments of classical antiquity with the monuments of the Middle Ages. Serious books on the cult of the phallus, with the help of serious drawings, would brightly illuminate this subject and reveal the worldview of those who, even in the Middle Ages, could not yet get rid of pagan cults.

Sculptures on the town hall (Vienna)

Homosexuality

Medieval monks were severely punished for sodomy. Very strict. Repentance.

The three most famous books of repentance - the Book of Finnian, the Book of Columban and the Book of Cummean contain detailed descriptions punishment for various types of homosexual behavior. Thus, the Book of Finnian stated that “those who perform intercourse from behind (i.e. anal sex is implied), if they are boys, then they perform penance for two years, if men - three, and if it has become a habit, then seven." Particular attention is paid to fellatio: “Those who satisfy their desires through the lips perform penance for three years. If it has become a habit, then seven. Columban requires that "a monk who has committed the sin of Sodom should repent for ten years." Cummean establishes a punishment for sodomy in the form of seven years of penance, for fellatio - from four to seven years. Measures of responsibility for boys vary greatly: for kissing - from six to ten posts, depending on whether the kiss was "simple" or "passionate" and whether it led to "defilement" (that is, to ejaculation); from 20 to 40 days of fasting for mutual masturbation, one hundred days of fasting for intercourse "between the thighs", and if this was repeated, then one year of fasting. “A young man who has been defiled by an elder must fast for a week; if he consented to the sin, then 20 days.

Later, the Church condemned the books of repentance for their excessive softness towards "unnatural vices" - the main punishments were fasting and repentance. For example, in England, the burning of sodomites was introduced by Edward I. However, court fires flared up because of this accusation not often ... From 1317 to 1789, only 73 trials took place. This figure is significantly inferior to the number of executed heretics, witches, etc.

The accusation of unnatural debauchery was more often used as an addition to the accusation in order to emphasize the justice of the punishment. She was charged with Gilles de Re, the Templars, although in the first case it was not the main charge, and in the second - the true motive for the execution.

Necrophilia and cannibalism

Human flesh was considered one of the best medicines. Everything went into business - from the top of the head to the toes.

For example, the English king Charles II regularly drank tincture from human skulls. For some reason, skulls from Ireland were considered especially healing, and they were brought to the king from there.

The places of public execution were always crowded with epileptics. It was believed that the blood splashed during decapitation cured them of this disease.

In general, many diseases were treated with blood at that time. So, Pope Innocent VIII regularly drank the blood expressed from three boys.
It was allowed to take fat from the dead until the end of the 18th century - it was rubbed in for various skin diseases.

Already in the XIV century, corpses of recently deceased people and executed criminals began to be used to prepare medicines from corpses. It happened that the executioners sold fresh blood and "human fat" directly from the scaffold. How this was done is described in the book by O. Kroll, published in 1609 in Germany:

“Take an undamaged clean corpse of a red-haired man 24 years old, executed not earlier than one day ago, preferably by hanging, wheeling or impalement ... Hold it one day and one night under the sun and moon, then cut into large pieces and sprinkle with myrrh powder and aloes, so that it is not too bitter…”+

There was another way:

“The flesh must be kept for several days in wine alcohol, then hung in the shade and dried in the breeze. After that, you will again need wine alcohol to restore the red tint to the flesh. Insofar as appearance corpse inevitably causes nausea, it would be nice to soak this mummy in olive oil for a month. The oil absorbs the trace elements of the mummy, and it can also be used as medicinal product especially as an antidote for snake bites.

Another recipe was offered by the famous pharmacist Nicolae Lefebvre in his Complete Book of Chemistry, published in London in 1664. First of all, he wrote, you need to cut off the muscles from the body of a healthy and young man, soak them in wine alcohol, and then hang them in a cool, dry place. If the air is very humid or it is raining, then “these muscles should be hung in a pipe and dried every day on a gentle fire from juniper, with needles and cones, to the state of corned beef, which sailors take on long voyages.”

Gradually, the technology of making medicines from human bodies became even more sophisticated. The healers proclaimed that his healing power would increase if the corpse of the sacrificial person was used.

For example, in the Arabian Peninsula, men between the ages of 70 and 80 gave their bodies to save others. They ate nothing, only drank honey and took baths from it. A month later, they themselves began to exude this honey in the form of urine and feces. After the "sweet old people" died, their bodies were placed in a stone sarcophagus filled with the same honey. After 100 years, the remains were taken out. So they got a medicinal substance - "confection", which, as they believed, could instantly cure a person of all diseases.

And in Persia, in order to prepare such a preparation, a young man under 30 was needed. As compensation for his death, he was well fed for some time and gratified in every possible way. He lived like a prince, and then he was drowned in a mixture of honey, hashish and medicinal herbs, the body was sealed in a coffin and opened only after 150 years.

Such a passion for eating mummies first led to the fact that in Egypt, by about 1600, 95% of the tombs were looted, and in Europe, by the end of the 17th century, cemeteries had to be guarded by armed detachments.

Only in the middle of the 18th century in Europe, one state after another began to pass laws either significantly restricting the eating of the flesh of corpses, or completely prohibiting it. Finally, mass cannibalism on the continent stopped only by the end of the first third of the 19th century, although in some distant corners of Europe it was practiced until the end of this century - in Ireland and Sicily it was not forbidden to eat a dead child before his baptism.

According to one version, the numerous remains in the Ossuaries - ossuaries, are a by-product of these manipulations - hundreds of thousands of bones look boiled down, like museum exhibits - without the remains of flesh. The question is - where did the rest of the flesh go from so many corpses?

Parisian catacombs with the remains of about 6 million people. The date of construction of this wall is visible.

Santa Maria della Concezione (Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini) is a Capuchin church on Via Veneto in Rome, with the remains of about 4 thousand people.

Czech. Kutna Hora. Ossuary in Sedlec. It took about 40,000 human skeletons to decorate the chapel. The chapel acquired its present appearance in 1870.

Numerous ossuary graves, located among residential areas, were a characteristic feature of the city during the late Middle Ages. According to the official version, ossuaries are used for the mass burial of those who died in major battles, during the plague and other disasters, according to the unofficial version, these are the results of a global cataclysm of the recent past. Regardless of the cause, the nature of polished-boiled bones raises many questions.

More about ossuaries here:

In fairness, it should be noted that in the twentieth century, echoes of that practice remained - the manufacture of medicines using human flesh, similar studies were carried out in the USSR.

The dissertation of A. M. Khudaz, made in 1951 at the Azerbaijan Medical Institute, is devoted to the external use for burns of a drug obtained from human corpses - cadaverol (kada - means corpse). The drug was prepared from internal fat, melting it in a water bath. Using it for burns made it possible, according to the author, to reduce the duration of treatment by almost half. For the first time human fat called "humanol" with therapeutic purpose was used in surgical practice by the doctor Godlender in 1909. In the USSR, it was also used by L.D. Kortavov in 1938.

The substance obtained after prolonged boiling of dead bodies may well be healing. Of course, this is still only a hypothesis. But at one of the scientific and practical seminars, specialists from the research laboratory of N. Makarov showed the MOS artificially obtained by them (mineral-organic substrate). Research protocols testified: MOS is able to increase the working capacity of people, reduce the period of rehabilitation after radiation damage, and increase male potency.

Human consumption in modern society

Today, in the 21st century, Western civilization legally consumes human flesh - this is the placenta and nutritional supplements. Moreover, the fashion for eating the placenta is growing year by year, and in many Western maternity hospitals there is even an order for its use - either give birth to women in labor or hand it over to laboratories that produce hormonal drugs based on it.

At first, old people - millionaires were treated with cow and sheep embryos, and soon doctors mastered an incomparably more effective medicine - alphafetaprotein, made from human unborn children.
It is produced from embryonic tissues, directly from the human fetus, from cord blood, from the placenta.

Of course, for the production of this "medicine for millionaires" thousands, tens of thousands of embryos are needed, and their age should not be lower or higher than 16-20 weeks, when the future organism is already formed as a whole.

Video about alphafetaprotein:

Human beings are also added to modern food products as food additives. The consumer is not even aware that when buying Nescafe instant coffee, Nesquick cocoa, Maggie seasoning, baby food or other branded products, he receives a product with the addition of "human flesh".

American biotechnology company Senomyx Co Ltd, whose main profile is the production of various food additives for the food and cosmetic industries. If we go to the English Wikipedia site, we will find out that the developed HEK293 component is the pride of the above-mentioned company.

In turn, if we ask ourselves what HEK293 means, even Wikipedia will give us the answer that HEK stands for Human Embryonic Kidney, that is, the kidneys of an aborted human embryo.

Catholic monasteries of France. Part 1

Is it really necessary to write about Christian churches and monasteries at a time when churches are closed or “converted” to something else, when worship services are held in empty churches, and sports stadiums, on the contrary, have nowhere to fall? But when asking such a question, we don’t think about the fact that the churches, although initially they were just a place where people gathered to offer prayers to the Lord together and take part in worship, were also monuments of the art of their time, and their construction became an event in the history of architecture.

Today we admire these monuments, calling them outstanding works of art or unique objects of architecture, but once - first of all, in the Middle Ages, when Romanesque and then Gothic churches first appeared - they were called to proclaim to people the greatness and power of the Lord God and Christian faith.

As for the frescoes, stone reliefs and carvings, even though they adorned the church, they, first of all, showed biblical teaching in glorious images, because most of the parishioners could not read at that time - they could only peer at those who were addressed to them. paintings and sculptures.

That is why in the Middle Ages almost all churches were lavishly decorated. However, churches in the Middle Ages had another purpose. As a rule, the temple was the only large stone building in the entire area, and therefore the local people gathered in it for a variety of reasons - on market days, they even traded here, under the vaults of the temple. In troubled times of unrest and unrest, in countries engulfed in atrocities and war, churches also served as a reliable stronghold - they turned into a fortress where the afflicted could hide.

Thousands of churches and monasteries - a considerable figure, many say! In fact, this is only a negligible fraction of temples chosen almost at random, the number of which is so great that even the most qualified statistician finds it difficult to say how many churches and monasteries there are in the world. The theme itself is such that most of the church buildings described in it are located in Europe, because it is here that Christianity took root most deeply.

Temples of France, Orthodox and Catholic - the pearl of European architecture, culture and art. With a rich history dating back to the first centuries of our era, the temples of France amaze with their unsurpassed beauty today.

Lerins Abbey.

The monastery, located on the island of Saint Honorat, off the coast of Cannes, is the most striking attraction of this city. It is believed that this is one of the oldest Gallic buildings of this kind, because it was founded around 410. Now the complex belongs to the Cistercians.[

The monastery has a regular ferry service to the coast of Cannes, so getting to it is not difficult: you just need to visit the old port.

Once the island was uninhabited, the Romans did not come here because of the abundance of snakes. Around 410, the hermit Honoratus of Arelat settled on the island in search of solitude, but the disciples who followed him formed a community. So the Lerins Monastery was founded. Honorat drew up the "Rule of the Four Fathers", which became the first monastic rule of its kind in France.

Saint Honorat of Arelat, founder of the Lerins Monastery

Saint Honorat, the founder of Lerins Abbey, wanted to build a temple that would become the residence of the brethren. By the 8th century, the complex already had a huge influence in Europe, and at that time more than 500 monks lived here, who were distinguished by asceticism. Many of them later became bishops or founded new monasteries.

In the following centuries, many famous saints studied in this monastery, who later became bishops or founded new monasteries. By the 8th century, Lerins Abbey had become one of the most influential monasteries in Europe; it owned vast estates, including the village of Cannes.

The rich monastery became easy prey for the raids of the Saracens. So, in 732, the Saracens broke in and plundered the monastery and killed almost all the monks and the abbot. One of the few survivors, the monk Elenter, built a new monastery on the ruins of the old one.

In 1047, the Lerins Islands were captured by Spain and the monks were taken prisoner. Soon the monks were ransomed, and defensive fortresses with towers were erected on the island. And although in subsequent years the monastery was repeatedly raided by pirates and Spaniards, each time the monks restored it again and, soon, Lerins Abbey became a popular place of pilgrimage.

At the end of the 11th century, a five-story fort was erected next to the monastery to protect the island from attacks from the sea. It housed a refectory, a library and a chapel. On the island around the monastery there are 7 chapels built in the XI-XVII centuries (one of them - the Archangel Michael was destroyed to the ground).

During the French Revolution, the island was declared state property. The relics of Saint Honorat, kept in the monastery, were transferred to the Grasse Cathedral, the monks were expelled, and the monastery was sold to the wealthy actress Mademoiselle Sainval, who lived there for 20 years, turning the cells of the monks into a guest yard.

In 1859, Bishop Fréjus bought the island to restore the religious community. And ten years later the monastery was rebuilt. Currently, the Lerins monastery belongs to the Cistercians, there are 25 monks living there, who, in addition to the monastic life, are engaged in the hotel business and viticulture.

The main building was erected over 1000 years ago, but after the monastery was closed in the 18th century, it was destroyed, and the relics of the founder were transferred to Grasse Cathedral. The monastic monastery was revived here only a century and a half ago, thanks to the efforts of the Cistercian order, who restored many buildings, though not in the original style, but in Romanesque, so that the appearance of the monastery has changed completely.

On the ground floor of the buildings there are public premises, a refectory and workshops. The second floor is dedicated to prayer. The upper levels were reserved for the soldiers who defended the abbey from intruders. But, given its size (only 86 buildings), the monastery was never fully protected.

There are seven chapels scattered throughout the island. Four of them are open to visitors. Trinity Chapel (XIX century) is located in the southeast of the island - a tribute to the Spaniards - after the invasion, the monks installed a battery of cannons on the roof of the chapel. Chapelle Saint-Sauveur (XII century) - an octagonal chapel in the northwest of the island.

Chapelle Saint-Capret - built on the site where Honorat Arelatsky lived as a hermit, located to the west of the island. Chapelle Saint-Pierre - St. Peter's chapel in the south, near the monastery, surrounded by medieval graves.

The monastery temple, the cloister and the museum of medieval manuscripts are also available for visiting. Elements of buildings of the Roman period, a fortress and towers of the 11th-15th centuries have been preserved in the monastery. Lérins Abbey has been declared a national monument of France.
Not far from Lérins Abbey, in ancient city Grasse, is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Puy, where paintings by Rubens and Fragonard are kept.

Already all countries vied with each other to send those who seek God there. Everyone who desired Christ rushed to Honoratus, and likewise everyone who sought Honoratus found Christ. After all, there he was all full of strength and built his heart like a high stronghold and a brightest temple. For there dwelled chastity, that is, holiness, faith, wisdom, and virtue; righteousness and truth shone there. So, as if with broad gestures and with open arms, he called everyone into his environment, that is, into the love of Christ; and everyone, one after another, flocked to him from everywhere. And now what country, what people do not have their fellow citizens in his monastery?

- The word of St. Hilary on the life of St. Honorat, Bishop of Arelat (translated from Latin by D. Zaitsev)

Lerins Abbey is open to visitors daily (except for monks' buildings), you can also attend monastery services. The monastery has a hotel for pilgrims and tourists (50 euros per day). A ferry runs regularly to the island.

Sources:

Les Pères de la Gaule chrétienne / Textes choisis et présentés par Sœur Agnes Egron. - Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1996. - S. 155-228

Abbey of Saint Madeleine

The Abbey of Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux is a Benedictine abbey located in Le Barroux, in the department of Vaucluse. Founded in 1978 by a community of monks, it has been part of the Benedictine Confederation since October 2008.

In August 1970, a young Benedictine monk, Father Gerard Calvet, left the abbey of Notre Dame de Tournay, with the consent of his abbot, and moved to Bedouin, a small village in Vaucluse.

He wanted to live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, faithful to the Roman liturgical traditions. He was quickly joined by some young people who would like to live the life of the Benedictines.

Since 1974, he has been moving closer to the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre; de facto relations with Tournai were severed. In 1978, given the growth of the young monastery, the community bought thirty acres of land between Mount Ventoux and the Dantel de Montmirail mountain range, in the commune of Le Barroux. Then the construction of the Romanesque abbey with modern technical facilities begins.

Saint Benedict

Monastery of the Grande Chartreuse

The Carthusian monastery of Grande Chartreuse is located 3 kilometers northwest of the village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse and 26 kilometers north of Grenoble. The monastery is closed to visitors, but not far from it there is a museum in which the cells of the monks are recreated. The path from the museum to the walls of the monastery can only be done on foot.

The monastery was founded in the spring of 1084 by Saint Bruno of Cologne, who decided to settle in a desert area at the foot of the Grand Som mountain, reaching a height of 1000 meters. The first, presumably wooden, buildings - the house for the monks and the house of the abbot, as well as the stone church - were located 2 kilometers north of the current monastery. Nothing remains of them today.

In 1132 the monastery was destroyed by a mountain avalanche. The monks built a new building in a safer place, 2 kilometers south of the former monastery. Subsequently, the monastery survived several fires.

During the years of the French Revolution, the monastery was closed: the order of the Carthusians did not have a single monastery left in France. In 1816 the Carthusians returned to the monastery, but in 1903 it was closed again and the monks moved to the monastery of Farneta in Italy.

In the summer of 1940, the Carthusians returned to Grande Chartreuse again. During the Second World War, the monks hid Jews in the monastery, and during the purges that followed the liberation of the country, on the contrary, former collaborators.

In connection with the development of tourism in the post-war years, the monks even began to think about moving to a more peaceful and secluded place. However, the problem was solved differently: two kilometers south of the monastery in a building that served as a monastery hospital, a museum was opened in 1957 in order to satisfy the curiosity of everyone.

The monastery itself is a vast complex of buildings. At the entrance to the monastery there is a church built in the 19th century, which is consecrated in honor of Our Lady of La Salette (a place in the department of Isère, where in 1846 the appearance of the Virgin took place). Behind it is the former laundry building, which today houses the cells of the monks. 20 meters to the right of it stands the Church of the Resurrection.

Next to the front yard is an impressive structure built of massive stone blocks. This building, built in the 16th century, served to receive guests of honor, in particular, the abbots of the Carthusian monasteries.

In seven two-story buildings, lined up in one line, there are cells for the leadership of the monastery: the manager of the community, his deputy, the secretary of the supreme abbot and others. The last, more spacious building houses the rector's residence. The buildings are interconnected by three galleries located one above the other.

In the background there is a large rectangular elongated structure - galleries, the length of which reaches 216 meters from north to south and 23 meters from east to west. On one side, the galleries are adjoined by small houses spaced at the same distance from each other, in which there are 35 monastic cells.

The northern part of the galleries is the oldest and dates back to the 14th century, and its foundations date back to the 12th century. The southern part was built in the 16th century. In the space between the galleries and cells there is a cemetery.

The monastery also houses a church with two bell towers, which was built in 1878. It does not stand out for anything special, except for the beautiful diamond-shaped parquet, which is typical for all Carthusian monasteries. To the right of the church is a clock tower built in the 15th century.

Nearby is a dining room, the construction of which dates back to the 14th century. Under the dining room building is the main hall of the general chapter, in which a statue of St. Bruno is installed, and portraits of all the abbots of the monastery hang on the walls.

In order not to disturb the seclusion of the monks, at a decent distance from the cells there are various outbuildings - a mill, a garage, stables, a smithy, a carpentry workshop, and so on.

Initially, life in the monastery was provided by raising sheep and growing vegetables and some grain crops. Since the 12th century, thanks to the development of mines, blacksmithing began to develop in the monastery. Since the 19th century, Chartreuse liqueur, which is produced by monks, has brought the greatest fame and material support to the monastery.

At one time, Stendhal often visited the Grand Chartreuse monastery: it is believed that these trips inspired him to write the novel The Parma Monastery. The monastery is also often mentioned in the works of Honore de Balzac, for example in the novel Albert Savaryus, main character whom he decided to retire to the Grande Chartreuse.

Grande Chartreuse is an active monastery of the Carthusian order. It is forbidden for tourists to visit it, it is forbidden to use cars and motorcycles on the surrounding roads so that the noise of motors does not disturb the absolute silence in the monastery. The only place open to visitors is the Museum of the Great Chartreuse, located two kilometers from the monastery itself.

The modern dimensions of the Grand Chartreuse: 215 meters long, 23 meters wide, along the perimeter - 476 meters. Each monk lives in his cell, which consists of several rooms: a small gallery for walks, a small garden, a shed, a workshop and the living room itself.

The members of the community gather together only for three daily conventual services (Mains, Mass and Vespers), the rest of the time they spend in solitude in their cell. Once a week the monks take a walk outside the monastery, traditionally such walks are taken in pairs. The conversation during this walk is one of the extremely rare moments when the Carthusians talk to each other.

In 2005, German filmmaker Philipp Gröning made the documentary The Great Silence about the life of the monks of Grande Chartreuse. The film received several prestigious awards, including the 2006 European Film Awards for Best Documentary.

The Grand Chartreuse monastery became famous in the Middle Ages for two of its creations: the recipe for the now world-famous Chartreuse liqueur created by the local monks no later than the beginning of the 17th century (from the 1st half of the 18th century it was already produced in the monastery in limited quantities for sale).

bred back in the Middle Ages within the walls of the Grande Chartreuse, a breed of short-haired cats is the Chartreuse.

Three Provençal Sisters

Abbey of Senanque

Senanque is a Cistercian abbey in Provence, France. The monasteries of Senanque, Torone and Sylvacan are the three most famous Cistercian abbeys of Provence and are often called "three Provencal sisters" (French: trois sœurs provençales). The monastery was founded in 1148.

View of the monastery from the north. In front of him are fields of lavender

cloister

Senank Monastery was founded in 1148. It belongs to the branch of Citeaux, the first Cistercian monastery and has a 4th level (Cieto - Bonnevo - Mazan - Senanque). The initiator of the founding was the bishop of the city of Cavaillon named Alfan. The bishop's call was supported by the monks of the Mazan Monastery, who founded a new monastery in the narrow valley of the Senankol River, about 15 kilometers northeast of Cavaillon.

The abbey grew rapidly, soon it itself founded affiliated monasteries. The monastery church began to be built immediately after the foundation of the monastery and was consecrated in 1178. In the 13th and 14th centuries the monastery reached its apogee. Most of the buildings of the monastery were erected, outside the Senanki abbey owned 4 mills, seven granaries and large land plots.

The gradual decline of the monastery began in the 16th century. Since 1509, Senanque began to exist in the commendation regime, that is, the abbots began not to be elected by the brethren, but to be appointed by secular rulers. During the religious wars in France in the 16th century, the monastery was plundered by the Huguenots, the number of inhabitants of the monastery was reduced to a dozen. During the French Revolution, the monastery was closed and sold to private owners.

In 1854, Senanque was repurchased by the Cistercian community, who lived in the monastery until 1903, when they left Senanque and joined the community of Lérins Abbey. In 1921, Senanque received the status of a monument of national historical heritage.

In 1988, a small monastic community (numbering six people at the beginning of the 21st century) again settled in the monastery. The monks of Senanque are administratively subordinate to the Abbey of Lérins, they grow lavender and maintain an apiary.

Dormitory
The abbey church has the shape of a Latin cross, the apse of the church protrudes beyond the monastery walls. Since the narrow canyon in which the monastery is located is located in a north-south direction, the church is oriented in the same direction instead of the more traditional west-east.

Medieval buildings (XIII-XIV centuries) are well preserved in Senanka, which are good example Romanesque monastic architecture - cloister, dormitory, chapter hall, scriptorium. The scriptorium was the only heated room in the monastery. The refectory of the monastery belongs to a later time (XVII century).

It is possible to visit the monastery as part of organized excursions. The monastery provides an opportunity for individuals to spend some time here in prayer and solitude.

Torone

Torone is a Cistercian abbey in France, in Provence, located between the cities of Draguignan and Brignoles. A monument of Romanesque architecture of the 12th century. The monasteries of Torone, Senanque and Sylvacan are the three most famous Cistercian abbeys of Provence and are often called "three Provençal sisters" (fr. trois sœurs provençales). The monastery was founded in 1157, closed in 1785. Currently, the abbey houses a museum.

Abbey cloister
The Cistercian order was founded by Saint Robert of Molem in 1098 as an order of strict observance of the rule of Saint Benedict. Until 1113, the only monastery of the Cistercians was Sieto (French Cîteaux, Latin Cistercium), which gave the order its name. Starting from the 20s of the XII century, the order experienced rapid development.

The monastery of Torone was founded around 1157, belongs to the branch of Citeaux, the first Cistercian monastery, along the Citeto-Bonnevo-Mazan line. The monks of the monastery of Mazan founded in the middle of the XII century the abbey of Notre-Dame de Fleuriel, a few dozen kilometers northeast of Torone, but later almost the entire community moved to the place where the modern monastery of Torone is located, considering the new place more successful.

Work on the construction of the monastery church and premises began presumably in 1176. Torone is distinguished by a rare architectural integrity, due to the fact that the entire complex of buildings was built at the same time, at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century and was not subsequently rebuilt. The first of the abbots of Torone, whose name has come down to us, was Folket of Marseilles, who was a famous troubadour before leaving the monastery, and later became the bishop of Toulouse. Folket was abbot of Thorone from 1199 to 1205.

Torone did not grow as fast as some of the other Cistercian abbeys, in the 13th century there were only about 25 monks, and much of the physical labor was done by the cloisters. Despite this, the monastery owned significant land in the territories between Haute-Provence and the sea coast. The main occupation of the monks and converts was animal husbandry, mainly sheep breeding. They also raised fish for their own needs and for sale.

cloister gallery
The strongest blow to the monastery was caused by the plague of 1348 (the so-called Black Death), from which a significant part of the population of Provence, including the inhabitants of Torone, died. After the epidemic, the monastery began to rapidly decline. In 1433 only 4 monks remained there.

In the 16th century, the church of the monastery was still used for periodic worship, at the same time, most of the residential buildings were already in ruins. During the religious wars in France, the monastery was completely abandoned and ruined.

Attempts to restore it, undertaken in the XVIII century, did not lead to success. In 1785, the last abbot of Torone declared bankruptcy of the monastery, the seven monks remaining there were transferred to other abbeys. In 1791 the abbey and its lands were auctioned off.

In 1840 the first chief inspector historical monuments In France, Prosper Mérimée added the Abbey of Thorone to the list of historical monuments. At the same time, on his initiative, the restoration of the church began.

In 1854, the state bought from private individuals most buildings of the monastery, including the cloister, chapter hall, dormitory, which made it possible to carry out large-scale restoration work in them. The rest of the buildings were purchased by the state in 1938.

Currently, the abbey functions as a museum.

abbey church

The architecture of the monastery is typical of the Cistercian monasteries of France. In the southern part of the abbey is a church in the shape of a Latin cross, with an apse oriented to the east. The buildings of the monastery with the chapter hall, dormitory and other premises adjoin the northern wall of the church.

The buildings surround a cloister in the shape of an irregular trapezoid, framed by galleries. In the north-western corner of the monastery are the premises of the convertibles. Great importance water supply played a role in the life of the monastery, the monks of Torone developed a complex engineering system for supplying water to the kitchen and other rooms of the monastery, and also built an original lavabo for ablutions.

The abbey church is oriented strictly along the west-east line, it is about 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. The church has two entrances, one was intended for monks, the second for converts.

The church was the first of the erected buildings of the monastery and was completed before the end of the XII century. The bell tower of the church was built around 1180 and is over 30 meters high.

The interior of the church, as required by the rules of the Cistercians, is emphatically strict. The church is three-aisled, with small chapels in the arms of the transept. Historical stained glass windows were lost during the desolation of the abbey, modern copies were made in 1935.

Chapter Hall

The chapter hall, a relatively large room where all the important events of the monastery took place, occupies almost the entire first floor of the main building. Its architecture is the most elegant among all the buildings of the monastery. The ceiling of the hall is supported by carved columns with arched tops.

In the architecture of the hall of chapters one can feel some influence of the Gothic style, which was born during the construction of the monastery. The chapter hall is connected to the church through the sacristy (sacristy). Also between the chapter hall and the church there is a small room (three by three meters) of the book depository (armarium).

The dormitory is located on the second floor of the main building, above the chapter hall. The abbot had a separate bedroom on the left side of the building. Other monastic premises, including the scriptorium and the kitchen, were located in the northern part of the monastery, but only ruins have survived to this day.

The inner courtyard of the monastery (cloister) was the center of the abbey. It has the shape of an elongated trapezoid, approximately thirty meters long. A characteristic feature of the cloister is its unevenness, the southern part, adjacent to the church, is significantly higher than the northern one, descending towards the river. The cloister is framed by four galleries with double arcades. In the northern part of the cloister, in a small room, there is an original lavabo, a washbasin used for ritual washing before services.

Sylvacan (abbey)

Sylvacan is a former Cistercian abbey in France, in Provence, located on the eastern outskirts of the city of La Roque-d "Antheron in the Durance river valley. A monument of Romanesque architecture of the 13th century. The monasteries of Sylvacan, Senanque and Thorone are the three most famous Cistercian abbeys of Provence and are often called "Three Provençal Sisters" (French trois sœurs provençales).The monastery was founded in 1144, closed in 1443.

Abbey refectory

Robert of Molezma

The Cistercian order was founded by Saint Robert of Molem in 1098 as an order of strict observance of the rule of Saint Benedict. Until 1113, the only monastery of the Cistercians was Sieto (French Cîteaux, Latin Cistercium), which gave the order its name. Starting from the 20s of the XII century, the order experienced rapid development.

The monastery of Sylvakan was founded around 1144, unlike the other two "Provençal sisters", it does not belong to the Sito branch, but to the Morimon branch. The abbey flourished until the middle of the 14th century. In 1358, the monastery was plundered by an armed detachment from the city of Aubignan, from that moment it began to decline.

By the middle of the 15th century, the financial problems of the monastery led to its abolition, the remaining monks were transferred to other monasteries. Buildings and territory of the abbey transferred to the ownership of the chapter cathedral Aix, and the monastery church became the usual parish church of the city of La Roque d'Antheron.

In the XVII and XVIII centuries all the buildings of the former monastery, except for the church, were abandoned and gradually destroyed. During the French Revolution, the church and dilapidated buildings were auctioned off and turned into a farm by private owners.

Church
In 1846, at the initiative of the first chief inspector of historical monuments of France, Prosper Mérimée, the state bought the abbey church from private individuals, which was declared a historical monument.

During the same period, it was restored. Other structures of Silvakan remained in private hands until 1949, when they were in turn bought by the state. In the 90s of the XX century, a large-scale restoration of the buildings of the former monastery was carried out.

Currently, Silvakan is open to the public (attendance is paid) and is not used for religious purposes. Periodically, cultural events are held on the territory of the former monastery, such as the Piano Music Festival in La Roque d'Antheron, the Sylvacan Vocal Music Festival, etc.

The church of Sylvakan is built in the Romanesque style with a number of Gothic elements. The plan is a basilica with transepts. Its construction took place from 1175 to 1230. The interior is characterized by minimalist decorative elements, characteristic of the strict Cistercian order.

The chapter hall and the rest room in the eastern part of the monastery were built in the 13th century. The cloister, surrounded by galleries with Romanesque arches, also dates from the 13th century.

To the north of the cloister is the refectory (end of the 13th century), whose architecture already contains more Gothic features. The refectory is the most decorative building of the monastery, which is associated with the weakening of the strict rules of Bernard of Clairvaux at the end of the century.

Lerins Abbey.

The monastery has a regular ferry service to the coast of Cannes, so getting to it is not difficult: you just need to visit the old port.

Saint Honorat of Arelat, founder of the Lerins Monastery

The monastery temple, the cloister and the museum of medieval manuscripts are also available for visiting. Elements of buildings of the Roman period, a fortress and towers of the 11th-15th centuries have been preserved in the monastery. Lérins Abbey has been declared a national monument of France.
Not far from the Abbey of Lérins, in the ancient city of Grasse, is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Puy, where paintings by Rubens and Fragonard are kept.

- The word of St. Hilary on the life of St. Honorat, Bishop of Arelat (translated from Latin by D. Zaitsev)

Sources:

Les Pères de la Gaule chrétienne / Textes choisis et présentés par Sœur Agnes Egron. - Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1996. - S. 155-228

Official website: www.abbayedelerins.com

Abbey of Saint Madeleine

In August 1970, a young Benedictine monk, Father Gerard Calvet, left the abbey of Notre Dame de Tournay, with the consent of his abbot, and moved to Bedouin, a small village in Vaucluse.

He wanted to live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, faithful to the Roman liturgical traditions. He was quickly joined by some young people who would like to live the life of the Benedictines.

Saint Benedict

Monastery of the Grande Chartreuse

In order not to disturb the seclusion of the monks, at a decent distance from the cells there are various outbuildings - a mill, a garage, stables, a smithy, a carpentry workshop, and so on.

At one time, Stendhal often visited the monastery of Grande Chartreuse: it is believed that these trips inspired him to write the novel The Parma Monastery. The monastery is also often mentioned in the works of Honore de Balzac, for example in the novel "Albert Savaryus", the main character of which decided to retire to the Grande Chartreuse.

bred back in the Middle Ages within the walls of the Grande Chartreuse, a breed of short-haired cats is the Chartreuse.

Three Provençal Sisters

Abbey of Senanque

View of the monastery from the north. In front of him are fields of lavender

cloister

Medieval buildings (XIII-XIV centuries) are well preserved in Senanque, which are a good example of Romanesque monastic architecture - a cloister, a dormitory, a chapter hall, a scriptorium. The scriptorium was the only heated room in the monastery. The refectory of the monastery belongs to a later time (XVII century).

It is possible to visit the monastery as part of organized excursions. The monastery provides an opportunity for individuals to spend some time here in prayer and solitude.

Abbey offsite: http://www.senanque.fr/

Torone

In 1840, the first chief inspector of historical monuments of France, Prosper Mérimée, added the Abbey of Thorone to the list of historical monuments. At the same time, on his initiative, the restoration of the church began.

In 1854, the state bought from private individuals most of the buildings of the monastery, including the cloister, chapter hall, dormitory, which made it possible to carry out large-scale restoration work in them. The rest of the buildings were purchased by the state in 1938.

Currently, the abbey functions as a museum.

abbey church

The buildings surround a cloister in the shape of an irregular trapezoid, framed by galleries. In the north-western corner of the monastery are the premises of the convertibles. Water supply played a great role in the life of the monastery, the monks of Torone developed a complex engineering system for supplying water to the kitchen and other rooms of the monastery, and also built an original lavabo for ablutions.

The abbey church is oriented strictly along the west-east line, it is about 40 meters long and 20 meters wide. The church has two entrances, one was intended for monks, the second for converts.

The church was the first of the erected buildings of the monastery and was completed before the end of the XII century. The bell tower of the church was built around 1180 and is over 30 meters high.

Chapter Hall

http://www.romanes.com/

Sylvacan (abbey)

Abbey refectory

Robert of Molezma

By the middle of the 15th century, the financial problems of the monastery led to its abolition, the remaining monks were transferred to other monasteries. The buildings and territory of the abbey were transferred to the ownership of the chapter of the cathedral of Aix, and the monastery church became the usual parish church of the city of La Roque d'Antheron.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, all the buildings of the former monastery, except for the church, were abandoned and gradually destroyed. During the French Revolution, the church and dilapidated buildings were auctioned off and turned into a farm by private owners.

The chapter hall and the rest room in the eastern part of the monastery were built in the 13th century. The cloister, surrounded by galleries with Romanesque arches, also dates from the 13th century.

http://abbayesprovencales.free.fr/

The sights of France cannot be seen immediately. You need to either live in this country for a long time, or come often.

This country has preserved many historical and religious monuments. You will learn about one of them now.

Convent of Sainte-Aubin - history

The Abbey of Sainte-Aubin is a former monastery located in the city of Anjou. It was built in the VI century and now it is often visited by tourists from different countries who come to see the sights of France.

Before the appearance of the monastery, there was a funerary basilica (Memoria) on the site of the abbey, which was specially erected to house the tomb of the Bishop of Anjou (St. Aubin, Saint Aubin, in English - Saint Albinus of Angers), who died in 550.

According to historians, this bishop had a great influence on the formation of Christianity in the French department of Anjou. In his memory, throughout France, thousands of cathedrals and churches now bear the name of Saint Aubin.

He was buried in a cellula angusta (conditionally, in a tight cage) until the completion of the construction of a large basilica, which was opened in 576. The "new" basilica as soon as possible received the name of a holy Bishop, which is mentioned by another holy Bishop, Gregory of Tours, in his main work of life, Historia Francorum (ten historical books in Latin).

The former funerary basilica was considered a full-fledged monastery in the 6th-18th centuries. The monastery repeatedly suspended its activities for various reasons: either the abbot was condemned, or the robbers carried away all the monastery property.

According to the records preserved in the abbey, the monastery operated continuously from 966 until 1789. In connection with the French Revolution, the monks were again dispersed.

Sights of France - our time

Once again, the monastery was destroyed in 1811, and its place was partially cleared for the construction of Place Michel-Debre. From the former basilica, the Tower of Saint-Aubin has been preserved; it is included in the modern sights of France.

The tower-bell tower of the Abbey of Saint-Aubin was built in the XII century. It gracefully towered over the city (its height is 54 meters). In the Middle Ages, the tower served as a watchtower. Judging by the records, it was originally built for the personal use of the monks, i.e. for the needs of the monastery. Due to time and meteorological conditions, the tower was gradually destroyed and in the 19th century it actually crumbled.

Since 1862, La Tour Saint-Aubin has been included in the list of historical monuments and has been included in the list of attractions in France. Since that time, it has been gradually restored and at the moment it has acquired its former appearance (although it is worth noting that the "original" tower was taller than the current one).

In the first half of the 20th century, the tower housed the Museum of Industry and an observatory. Now art exhibitions are held there, and the abbey itself has become a popular place among the sights of France.