Abbey of Saint-Gilles

Saint-Gilles, France

The Abbey of Saint-Gilles is included in the UNESCO Heritage List, as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. According to the legend, it was founded in the 7th century by saint Giles, over lands which had been given him by the Visigoth King Wamba after he had involuntarily wounded the saint during a hunt. The monastery was initially dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul: however, in the 9th century, the dedication was changed to St. Giles himself, who had become one of the most venerated figures in the area. His relics were housed in the abbey church and attracted numerous pilgrims.

In the 11th century, the monastery was attached to Cluny abbey. Thanks to its prosperity, it was enlarged and decorated from the 12th to the 15th century, when the cloiser was finished. In the 16th century the church, in the course of the Wars of Religion, was devastated when the Huguenots took shelter in it. Restorations were held in the 17th century and again, after further damage during the French Revolution, in the 19th century. The tomb of St. Giles was rediscovered in 1865, becoming again a pilgrim destination from 1965.

The abbey church is in typical southern French Romanesque style. The façade, built from 1120 to 1160, has a decorated entrance portico with three portals with Corinthian columns and medieval sculpture decorations. These include, in the lower sector, a bestiary and scenes from the Old Testament. The bell tower dates to the 18th century.

The crypt, or lower church, dates to the early 11th century. It measures 50 by 25 meters, and occupies the whole subterranean section of the nave. In its center is the tomb of St. Giles, a medieval place of veneration until in the 16th century, his relics were moved to the Basilica of Saint Sernin at Toulouse. The upper church, with a nave and two apses, mostly belongs to the 17th-century reconstruction, aside from the massive pillars in Corinthian style.

Behind the apse are the remains of the ancient choir, which once were part of the originally longer church. Inside the northern wall of the ancient choir is a spiral staircase dating to the 12th century, made of cantilevered stone steps.

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Details

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

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Stmp275 (9 months ago)
What a beautiful place this is . This building is stunning inside and out . I nearly missed out visiting st Gilles I’m so glad I didn’t now . Definitely worth a look round if you are in the area for sure . It’s free to visit and take pictures . But we did leave a voluntary donation .
Emeraude-bay (2 years ago)
It is very beautiful this facade of Romanesque art of the abbey of Saint-Gilles. We admire it then we read it like a stone comic book I came mainly to see the architectural prowess of the famous spiral staircase and unfortunately I was only able to see it as a model.
Frédéric Baylac-Domengetroy (3 years ago)
The facade of the abbey of Saint-Gilles can be considered as a real "book of stone" intended for the faithful, often illiterate at the time of its construction. Built between 1120 and 1160, the facade remains a recognized masterpiece of Provençal Romanesque art. The square and the church have been beautifully restored. The visit of the crypt and the tomb of Saint-Gilles deserves to stop there. A great pity that we can no longer see the famous spiral staircase in a model.
Alina L (3 years ago)
Walking through the neglected old town and suddenly seeing th facade... WOW! ED. The date of the visit: 2005. The opinion also was not added recently, BTW.
Cristian Badoiu (guide & tour operator) (4 years ago)
The Romanesque reliefs on the western facade are wonderful, freshly restored. These old reliefs are well worth a detour, of You are in the area. The inside is a bit dull, nothing special. The whole old town of Saint Gilles is restored, the narrow streets with cobble stone are nice.
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