Aulps Abbey
Encyclopedia
Aulps Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery located at an altitude of 810 metres in the village of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps
in the Aulps Valley, Haute-Savoie
, French Alps
. It is 7 km from Morzine
, 25 km from Thonon
and 60 km from Geneva
.
Aulps Abbey was a major Cistercian site in the Haute Savoie region for almost seven hundred years, from its foundation in the 1090s to its suppression in 1793. The church was partially destroyed in 1823 for its stones, but the superb 13th century façade remains standing. In addition to the majestic ruins of the abbey, classified as a monument historique
in 1902, the three-hectare estate includes agricultural buildings, cellars, a gatehouse and a medicinal garden.
in Burgundy
, including the eventual second abbot of Aulps Guarinus of Sitten
, later Saint Guarinus. Its name derives from the Latin word alpibus which means "mountain pastures". Aulps was affiliated to the Cistercian Order in 1136. After the death of Guarinus the abbey became a place of pilgrimage
on account of his relics, which were held here.
The abbey's influence quickly spread throughout the Chablais
, Faucigny
and Jura
regions. The abbots became the right-hand men of the Counts of Savoy and lords of Faucigny. Some of them later became bishops.
In 1792 the French invaded the Savoy and drove out the last monks. The abbey was formally suppressed in the following year. The last buildings remained intact through this time and it was not until 1823 that the inhabitants of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps decided to reconstruct the burned-out parish church nearby and to use the abandoned monastery as a quarry for the stone.
The owner of the abbey farm, Ernest Tavernier, saved the last remains by having the site listed as a "monument historique" in 1902. Between 1930 and 1940, the massive work of clearance was begun by the priest of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps, Father Alexis Coutin, who restored the grandeur of the abbey church..
(a light-weight chalk-based rock), red limestone and river stones - and followed the restrained Cistercian floor-plan prescribed by Saint Bernard
.
The façade is particularly streamlined, creating a monumental effect. The first level is taken up by the entrance. Splayed in shape, it is protected by an archivolt
within five pointed arches increasing in size. Above the door, the second level corresponds with the interior gallery of the church. The third level is entirely occupied by a rose window
centred under a vast load-bearing arch, supported by corniced columns.
Inside, the nave and the side aisles were roofed with ribbed vaults, as at other Cistercian churches, such as those of the abbeys of Hauterive, Acey
, Noirlac and Casamari
.
There is a little restrained plant-form sculpture in the interior, predominantly the waterleaf
. The false triforia built into the thickness of the internal walls are especially noteworthy: the successive niches create an architectural illusion of non-existent circulation corridors above, which reinforces the grandeur of the building.
Another feature of the site, the tomb of Saint Guarinus, second abbot of Aulps, was located in the nave. His relics were the object of popular pilgrimage.
In spite of its partial destruction in 1823, the church of Aulps Abbey is regarded as one of the jewels of Cistercian architecture..
and administration.
, Thonon, Geneva
and the more remote Salins
. The cellars also had an elaborate drainage and cleaning system.
was located, according to monastic tradition, south of the church. It was partly destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century, but archaeological excavations have revealed details of its layout. As elsewhere, this building consisted of a square courtyard surrounded by four covered galleries, off which opened the various usual rooms: chapter house
, refectory
, lavatorium and so on.
Saint-Jean-d'Aulps
Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is a commune is the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Situated in the heart of the Vallée d'Aulps, as well as being the home to an active farming community, it is popular with holiday-makers in the Summer, for walking, and in the Winter...
in the Aulps Valley, Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
, French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
. It is 7 km from Morzine
Morzine
Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune...
, 25 km from Thonon
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:...
and 60 km from Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
Aulps Abbey was a major Cistercian site in the Haute Savoie region for almost seven hundred years, from its foundation in the 1090s to its suppression in 1793. The church was partially destroyed in 1823 for its stones, but the superb 13th century façade remains standing. In addition to the majestic ruins of the abbey, classified as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
in 1902, the three-hectare estate includes agricultural buildings, cellars, a gatehouse and a medicinal garden.
History
Aulps Abbey was founded at the very end of the 11th century by monks from Molesme AbbeyMolesme Abbey
Molesme Abbey was a well-known Benedictine monastery in Molesme, in Laignes, Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, on the border of the Dioceses of Langres and Troyes.-History:...
in Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, including the eventual second abbot of Aulps Guarinus of Sitten
Guarinus of Sitten
Saint Guarinus of Sitten was Bishop of Sion.Guarinus was born in Pont-à-Mousson, France, around 1065, into a noble family. In about 1085 he became a monk at the Benedictine monastery of Molesme Abbey. In 1094, together with a group of brothers, he founded a daughter house of Molesme, Aulps Abbey...
, later Saint Guarinus. Its name derives from the Latin word alpibus which means "mountain pastures". Aulps was affiliated to the Cistercian Order in 1136. After the death of Guarinus the abbey became a place of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
on account of his relics, which were held here.
The abbey's influence quickly spread throughout the Chablais
Chablais
Chablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
, Faucigny
Faucigny
Faucigny is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Historically, Faucigny was a region in Savoy which included the area of the modern département of Haute Savoie and the municipalities of Chamonix, Argentière, and Les Houches.-Geography:In the...
and Jura
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
regions. The abbots became the right-hand men of the Counts of Savoy and lords of Faucigny. Some of them later became bishops.
In 1792 the French invaded the Savoy and drove out the last monks. The abbey was formally suppressed in the following year. The last buildings remained intact through this time and it was not until 1823 that the inhabitants of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps decided to reconstruct the burned-out parish church nearby and to use the abandoned monastery as a quarry for the stone.
The owner of the abbey farm, Ernest Tavernier, saved the last remains by having the site listed as a "monument historique" in 1902. Between 1930 and 1940, the massive work of clearance was begun by the priest of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps, Father Alexis Coutin, who restored the grandeur of the abbey church..
The church
The construction of the abbey started around 1150. The work lasted about sixty years and was effectively finished when the church building was consecrated on 26 May 1212 by the Bishop of Geneva. The builders used local materials - tuffTuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
(a light-weight chalk-based rock), red limestone and river stones - and followed the restrained Cistercian floor-plan prescribed by Saint Bernard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
.
The façade is particularly streamlined, creating a monumental effect. The first level is taken up by the entrance. Splayed in shape, it is protected by an archivolt
Archivolt
An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental moldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening...
within five pointed arches increasing in size. Above the door, the second level corresponds with the interior gallery of the church. The third level is entirely occupied by a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
centred under a vast load-bearing arch, supported by corniced columns.
Inside, the nave and the side aisles were roofed with ribbed vaults, as at other Cistercian churches, such as those of the abbeys of Hauterive, Acey
Acey Abbey
Acey Abbey is a Cistercian abbey founded in 1136 by Renaud III, located in the commune of Vitreux, in the Jura département, in France.-See also:* Aiguebelle Abbey* List of Cistercian abbeys in France...
, Noirlac and Casamari
Casamari
thumb|250px|The choir of the abbey churchCasamari Abbey is a Cistercian abbey in the province of Frosinone, Italy, c. 10 kilometers east-south-east of Veroli....
.
There is a little restrained plant-form sculpture in the interior, predominantly the waterleaf
Waterleaf (architecture)
In architecture, a waterleaf is a distinctive sculptural motif used on the capitals of columns and pillars in European buildings during the late twelfth century...
. The false triforia built into the thickness of the internal walls are especially noteworthy: the successive niches create an architectural illusion of non-existent circulation corridors above, which reinforces the grandeur of the building.
Another feature of the site, the tomb of Saint Guarinus, second abbot of Aulps, was located in the nave. His relics were the object of popular pilgrimage.
In spite of its partial destruction in 1823, the church of Aulps Abbey is regarded as one of the jewels of Cistercian architecture..
Gatehouse
The gatehouse is the historical entrance of Aulps Abbey. Today it shelters an architectural model. It dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and has two large doors and a third for pedestrians. It was not only a passageway but also sheltered the abbot's court and various activities relating to almsAlms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
and administration.
Abbey farm
The old abbey farm (now containing both permanent and temporary exhibitions of the Domaine de Découverte) was the heart of the abbey's past economy. The farm consisted of a barn/cowshed joined to the gateway building and a farmhouse, containing vaulted rooms. It dates from the end of the 17th century and was certainly used in the manufacturing of cheese..Cellars
The abbey's wine was stored in three vaulted south-facing cellars. Levels of consumption were high but the wine had a low alcohol content and only a short shelf-life. It came from the abbey's properties situated near ClusesCluses
Cluses is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Citizens are known as Clusiens. The commune is situated in the Arve Valley, on the river which bears the same name...
, Thonon, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and the more remote Salins
Salins
Salins is the name or part of the name of several communes in France and Switzerland:In France:* Salins, Cantal, in the Cantal département* Salins, Seine-et-Marne, in the Seine-et-Marne département...
. The cellars also had an elaborate drainage and cleaning system.
Garden
The present garden, created in the former monks' garden, consists of two terraced levels. The upper one grows the medicinal herbs and plants, while the lower one contains the kitchen garden growing old varieties of vegetables. The medicinal plants are laid out in beds according to their use in traditional medicine.Mill
The Rule of St. Benedict insisted that mills should be installed on monastery estates. The mill of Aulps was used until 1694, when it was moved to the abbey's hamlet. It was a wheat mill coupled with a hemp beater. Water was taken several hundred metres upstream, above the estate, and was channelled through a partly visible underground masonry aqueduct in masonry, then into a wooden gully before finally falling on the wheel.Cloister
The cloisterCloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
was located, according to monastic tradition, south of the church. It was partly destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century, but archaeological excavations have revealed details of its layout. As elsewhere, this building consisted of a square courtyard surrounded by four covered galleries, off which opened the various usual rooms: chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
, refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
, lavatorium and so on.