Saint-Sever Abbey, Saint-Sever, France

Saint-Sever Abbey (abbaye de Saint-Sever) is a Benedictine monastery. It was founded at the end of the 10th century by William II Sánchez of Gascony. According to the monastic chronicles, this was as the result of a vow he made after the battle of Taller, in Gascony, in which he defeated the Vikings (982). In 1060, after a fire, the abbey was reconstructed on the model of Cluny under the direction of the abbot Gregori de Montaner. The Saint-Sever Beatus was the work of monks working under the direction of the same abbot; Abbot Gregori held the post from 1028 to 1072.

The abbey church is a Romanesque building from the 12th century with seven apses. The abbey was listed by France as a historic monument in 1911 and in 1998 it and other sites were jointly designated as the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France World Heritage site.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Jean-marc Delmotte (2 years ago)
Une merveille à la pas manquer dans une ville magnifique

Benjamin BIGOT (2 years ago)
Un des plus lieu religieux que j'ai visité, ne paye pas de mine, mais magnifique. Lieu chargé d'histoire, vous pouvez faire une visite guidée ainsi que monté au clochet

Anastasia An (2 years ago)
The Abbey Church of St. Sever is an exceptional place. Take the time to look at the carved capitals, including those dating from the 11-12th century. If it is in July-August, you have the possibility of going up to the bell tower (only 100 steps, rather easy) to have a rather unusual view of the nave, and then of the city from the top of the bell tower. Tours depart three times a day on weekdays.

Christine Valantin (2 years ago)
Excellent guide pationante

Catherine Roy (4 years ago)
It is a very beautiful church which brings to the people who return there a lot of calm and peace. She also receives pilgrims who go to Santiago de Compostela, so that they can meditate on their journey. This passage is indicated on the sidewalks of the city near the abbey.

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Tyniec Benedictine abbey was founded by King Casimir the Restorer probably around 1044. Casimir decided to rebuild the newly established Kingdom of Poland, after a Pagan rebellion and a disastrous Czech raid of Duke Bretislaus I (1039). The Benedictines, invited to Tyniec by the King, were tasked with restoring order as well as cementing the position of the State and the Church. First Tyniec Abbot was Aaron, who became the Bishop of Kraków. Since there is no conclusive evidence to support the foundation date as 1040, some historians claim that the abbey was founded by Casimir the Restorer’ son, King Boleslaw II the Generous.

In the second half of the 11th century, a complex of Romanesque buildings was completed, consisting of a basilica and the abbey. In the 14th century, it was destroyed in Tatar and Czech raids, and in the 15th century it was rebuilt in Gothic style. Further remodelings took place in the 17th and 18th centuries, first in Baroque, then in Rococo style. The abbey was partly destroyed in the Swedish invasion of Poland, and soon afterwards was rebuilt, with a new library. Further destruction took place during the Bar Confederation, when Polish rebels turned the abbey into their fortress.

In 1816, Austrian authorities liquidated the abbey, and in 1821-1826, it was the seat of the Bishop of Tyniec, Grzegorz Tomasz Ziegler. The monks, however, did not return to the abbey until 1939, and in 1947, remodelling of the neglected complex was initiated. In 1968, the Church of St. Peter and Paul was once again named the seat of the abbot. The church itself consists of a Gothic presbytery and a Baroque main nave. Several altars were created by an 18th-century Italian sculptor Francesco Placidi. The church also has a late Baroque pulpit by Franciszek Jozef Mangoldt.

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