Basilica of Saint-Romain

Blaye, France

The Basilica of Saint-Romain in Blaye was an important Merovingian basilica, the resting-place of Charibert II, a son of Clotaire II who was briefly king of Aquitaine from 629 to his death in 632, and of his son. According to the 12th-century Chanson de Roland contained the body and relics of the Carolingian folk-hero Roland, who was a seigneur of Blaye in the eighth century.

The nominal patron of the basilica, belonging to the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine, remained the local 4th-century martyr Saint Romanus of Blaye; here the pilgrims bound for Santiago de Compostela paused before taking to boats to cross to Bordeaux.

In 848, the fort and its surrounding habitations were laid waste by the Viking chief Hasting.

Some vestiges of the structure remain within the Vauban fortress at Blaye, which formed part of the traditional defenses of the Gironde estuary.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Blaye, France
See all sites in Blaye

Details

Founded: 7th century AD
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maxime Deschamps (3 years ago)
Marie Gombaud (3 years ago)
Magnificent place ?❤
Montes Noah (4 years ago)
It's a presbytery what
marie christine picquart (4 years ago)
Make a prayer for Mado
Ana Cristina (4 years ago)
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.