Escaladieu Abbey

Bonnemazon, France

Escaladieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey located in the French commune of Bonnemazon. Its name derives from the Latin Scala Dei ('ladder of God'). The abbey was founded in 1142 and became an important pilgrimage stop on the Way of St. James en route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The abbey is situated at the confluence of the Luz and the Arros rivers near the Château de Mauvezin.

The abbey was continuously inhabited by Cistercian monks until 1830 when it sold to an unknown local family. In 1986, the abbey was purchased by the Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées which undertook its restoration.

References:

Comments

Your name


Address

Couvent, Bonnemazon, France
See all sites in Bonnemazon

Details

Founded: 1142
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Château de Mauvezin (1,9 km)
Tournay Abbey (7,8 km)


Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (25,6 km)
Château Fort de Lourdes (24,9 km)
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges Cathedral (27,2 km)
Saint-Gaudens Collegiate Church (38 km)
Château de Beaucens (30 km)
Massey Garden (20,6 km)
Tarbes Cathedral (20,5 km)
Abbey of Saint-Savin-en-Lavedan (31,7 km)
Lugdunum Convenarum (27,2 km)

User Reviews

Thierry Carriere (2 years ago)
le personnel est très gentil visite très agréable beaucoup d'explication à voir absolument
Yannick Bertrand (2 years ago)
Magnifique lieu imprégné d'histoire
alberto M A (2 years ago)
Bonito lugar donde se encuentran exposiciones de arte moderno. Un entorno tranquilo y de fácil acceso.
Hayet Meissel (3 years ago)
Nature, lieu riche d'histoires et de poésie, je n'ai pas vu le temps passé tellement j'y étais bien, en plus, mes enfants ont adoré, tout comme moi..... Allez voir surtout ❤️❤️❤️
Joao Cesar Escossia (7 years ago)
Abbaye de l'Escaladieu (Escaladieu Abbey) was founded in 1142 when Cistercian monks left the monastery at Capadur to found their own abbey. Escaladieu Abbey was built at the confluence of the Luz and Arros rivers near the castle of Mauvezin. The abbey flourished from the 12th to 14th centuries. It served as the burial place for the counts of Bigorre and was a stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago. Escaladieu Abbey was built in the simple Romanesque-Cistercian style. The cloister included a sacristy, refectory, kitchen, and scriptorium. It was closed around 1830. All the east buildings of the Escaladieu Abbey remain intact, including the 12th-century chapter house, where the monks gathered to read the rule of St. Benoit, and the scriptorium, where they copied and illuminated manuscripts. The nave of the abbey had six bays, one of which was destroyed during the 16th-century Wars of Religion. The abbey has been owned by the Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées since 1997. It is open to visitors and is used for conferences and special events.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Kurayba

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends. One of them narrates the origin of the name of castle derived from that of jester Becko for whom the Duke Stibor had the castle built.

Another legend has it that the lord of the castle had his servant thrown down from the rock because he protected his child from the lords favourite dog. Before his death, the servant pronounced a curse saying that they would meet in a year and days time, and indeed precisely after that time the lord was bitten by a snake and fell down to the same abyss.

The well-conserved ruins of the castle, now the National Cultural Monument, are frequently visited by tourists, above all in July when the castle festival takes place. The former Ambro curia situated below the castle now shelters the exhibition of the local history.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2021 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.