Luxeuil Abbey
Encyclopedia
Luxeuil Abbey was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in Burgundy, located in the "département" of Haute-Saône
in Franche-Comté
, France
.
missionary Saint Columbanus
. Columbanus and his companions first settled in cells at Annegray, in the commune of Voivre, Haute-Saône. Looking for a more permanent site for his community, Columbanus decided upon the ruins of a well-fortified Gallo-Roman settlement, Luxovium, about eight miles away. The Roman town had been ravaged by Attila in 451, and was now buried in the dense overgrown woodland that had filled the abandoned site over more than a century, but the place still had the advantage of the thermal baths ("constructed with unusual skill", according to Columbanus' early biographer, Jonas of Bobbio
) down in the valley, which still give the town its name of Luxeuil-les-Bains
. Jonas described it further: "There stone images crowded the nearby woods, which were honoured in the miserable cult and profane former rites in the time of the pagans".
With a grant from an officer of the palace at Childebert's court, an abbey church was built with a sense of triumph within the heathen site
and its "spectral haunts".
Under the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of the Irish monks, the abbey at Luxeuil, dedicated to Saint Peter
, soon became the most important and flourishing monastery in Gaul. The community was so large that choir followed choir in the chanting of the office
, and at Luxeuil the laus perennis imported from Agaunum
went on day and night.
Most of the earliest rule that was observed at Luxeuil derived from Celtic
monastic traditions, whether or not written down by Columbanus, supplemented increasingly by the more formalized Benedictine Rule that was followed throughout the West, which provided for the abbot's orderly election, his relations with his monks, and the appointment of monastic officials and their delegated powers. In 603, a synod accused Columbanus of keeping Easter
by the Celtic date, but his severity and the inflexible rule he had established may have been the true cause of friction with the Burgundian court.
. He was succeeded as abbot by Saint Eustace of Luxeuil
, the head of the monastic school, which under Eustace and his successor Saint Waldebert, established a high reputation. The school and example of Luxeuil contributed significantly to the conversion of the Burgundians
. Luxeuil sent out monks to found houses at Bobbio
, between Milan
and Genoa
, where Columbanus himself became abbot, and monasteries at Saint-Valéry
and Remiremont
. To Luxeuil came such monks as Conon
, abbot of Lérins Abbey
to prepare for the reform of his monastery, and Saints Wandregisel
and Philibert
, founders respectively of the abbeys of Fontenelle
and Jumièges
in Normandy
, who spent years in studying the rule observed in monasteries which derived their origin from Luxeuil.
under the skilful general, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
, governor of Al-Andalus
, penetrating from Arles deep into Burgundy, briefly took possession of Luxeuil and massacred most of the community. The few survivors rebuilt the abbey, but both the monastery and the small town that clustered around its walls were devastated by the Normans
in the 9th century and pillaged on several occasions afterwards. Later, under the reforming government of the eighteenth abbot, Saint Ansegisus
, Louis the Pious
renewed its charters, restored the church and monastic buildings, and reformed discipline.
From the 15th century the institution of commendatory abbots
encouraged the decline of discipline. The Emperor Charles V
curtailed the power of Luxeuil's abbots.
In 1634 however the commendatory abbots ceased, and Luxeuil was joined to the reformed Congregation of St. Vanne
. From the report of the "Commission des Réguliers", drawn up in 1768, the community appears to have been numerous and flourishing, and discipline well kept.
the monks were dispersed. Most of the abbey's site is built over by the modern town, but the fine Gothic
church, built in the 14th century, was not destroyed; neither were the cloisters and conventual buildings, which until the "Association Laws" of 1901 were used as a seminary
for the diocese of Besançon, and still remain in existence. The church itself has for many years served as the parish church of Luxeuil-les-Bains.
Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône is a French department of the Franche-Comté région, named after the Saône River.- History :The department was created in the early years of the French Revolution through the application of a law dated 22 December 1789, from part of the former province of Franche-Comté...
in Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Columbanus
It was founded circa 585–590 by the IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
missionary Saint Columbanus
Columbanus
Columbanus was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries on the European continent from around 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil and Bobbio , and stands as an exemplar of Irish missionary activity in early medieval Europe.He spread among the...
. Columbanus and his companions first settled in cells at Annegray, in the commune of Voivre, Haute-Saône. Looking for a more permanent site for his community, Columbanus decided upon the ruins of a well-fortified Gallo-Roman settlement, Luxovium, about eight miles away. The Roman town had been ravaged by Attila in 451, and was now buried in the dense overgrown woodland that had filled the abandoned site over more than a century, but the place still had the advantage of the thermal baths ("constructed with unusual skill", according to Columbanus' early biographer, Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio or Jonas Bobiensis was a Columbanian monk and writer of hagiography, among which his Life of Saint Columbanus is outstanding....
) down in the valley, which still give the town its name of Luxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains
Luxeuil-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-History:Luxeuil was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings at the time of its destruction by the Huns under Attila in 451...
. Jonas described it further: "There stone images crowded the nearby woods, which were honoured in the miserable cult and profane former rites in the time of the pagans".
With a grant from an officer of the palace at Childebert's court, an abbey church was built with a sense of triumph within the heathen site
Christianised sites
One aspect of Christianisation was the Christianisation of sites that had been pagan. In the 1st centuries of Christianity churches were either house churches in whatever houses were offered for use by their owners, or were shrines on the burial-sites of martyrs or saints, which following the usual...
and its "spectral haunts".
Under the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of the Irish monks, the abbey at Luxeuil, dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, soon became the most important and flourishing monastery in Gaul. The community was so large that choir followed choir in the chanting of the office
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
, and at Luxeuil the laus perennis imported from Agaunum
Agaunum
Roman Agaunum, the modern Saint-Maurice in the canton Valais in southwesternmost Switzerland, was a minor post confined between the Rhône and the mountains along the well-travelled road that led from Roman Genava, modern Geneva, over the Alps by the Great St...
went on day and night.
Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
monastic traditions, whether or not written down by Columbanus, supplemented increasingly by the more formalized Benedictine Rule that was followed throughout the West, which provided for the abbot's orderly election, his relations with his monks, and the appointment of monastic officials and their delegated powers. In 603, a synod accused Columbanus of keeping Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
by the Celtic date, but his severity and the inflexible rule he had established may have been the true cause of friction with the Burgundian court.
Eustace of Luxeuil
Columbanus was exiled from Luxeuil by Theuderic II of Austrasia and the dowager Queen BrunehautBrunhilda of Austrasia
Brunhilda was a Visigothic princess, married to king Sigebert I of Austrasia who ruled the eastern kingdoms of Austrasia and Burgundy in the names of her sons and grandsons...
. He was succeeded as abbot by Saint Eustace of Luxeuil
Eustace of Luxeuil
Saint Eustace of Luxeuil , also known as Eustasius, was the second abbot of Luxeuil from 611. He succeeded his teacher Saint Columbanus, to whom he had been a favourite disciple and monk. He had been the head of the monastic school....
, the head of the monastic school, which under Eustace and his successor Saint Waldebert, established a high reputation. The school and example of Luxeuil contributed significantly to the conversion of the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
. Luxeuil sent out monks to found houses at Bobbio
Bobbio Abbey
Bobbio Abbey is a monastery founded by Irish Saint Columbanus in 614, around which later grew up the town of Bobbio, in the province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is dedicated to Saint Columbanus...
, between Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, where Columbanus himself became abbot, and monasteries at Saint-Valéry
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Saint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
and Remiremont
Remiremont Abbey
Remiremont Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near Remiremont, Vosges, France.-History:It was founded about 620 by Romaric, a lord at the court of Chlothar II, who, having been converted by Saint Ame, a monk of Luxeuil, took the habit at Luxeuil...
. To Luxeuil came such monks as Conon
Conon
Conon was an Athenian general at the end of the Peloponnesian War, who presided over the crucial Athenian naval defeat at Battle of Aegospotami; later he contributed significantly to the restoration of the political and military power.-Defeat at Aegospotami:Conon had been sent out following the...
, abbot of Lérins Abbey
Lérins Abbey
Lérins Abbey is a Cistercian monastery on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands, on the French Riviera, with an active monastic community....
to prepare for the reform of his monastery, and Saints Wandregisel
Wandregisel
Saint Wandregisel was a Frankish courtier, monk, and abbot. The son of Waltchis, himself a kinsman of Pepin of Landen, he was born near Verdun in the region then known as Austrasia....
and Philibert
Philibert
-Forename:* Saint Philibert, also known as Philibert of Jumièges , French saint and abbot* Philibert de Naillac , Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller* Philibert I, Duke of Savoy , husband of Bianca Maria Sforza...
, founders respectively of the abbeys of Fontenelle
Fontenelle Abbey
Fontenelle Abbey or the Abbey of St. Wandrille is a Benedictine monastery in the commune of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon near Caudebec-en-Caux in Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France.-First foundation:...
and Jumièges
Jumièges Abbey
Jumièges Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, situated in the commune of Jumièges in the Seine-Maritime département, in Normandy, France.-History:...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, who spent years in studying the rule observed in monasteries which derived their origin from Luxeuil.
Abdul Rahman's raid
In 731 a raiding party of MoorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
under the skilful general, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 AD. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
, governor of Al-Andalus
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, penetrating from Arles deep into Burgundy, briefly took possession of Luxeuil and massacred most of the community. The few survivors rebuilt the abbey, but both the monastery and the small town that clustered around its walls were devastated by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in the 9th century and pillaged on several occasions afterwards. Later, under the reforming government of the eighteenth abbot, Saint Ansegisus
Ansegisus
Saint Ansegisus was a monastic reformer of the Franks.Beginning his career as a monk at Fontenelle Abbey, he was soon given the task of reforming monasteries at St. Sixtus near Reims and St. Memius in the diocese of Châlons-sur-Marne, in which he was successful...
, Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
renewed its charters, restored the church and monastic buildings, and reformed discipline.
From the 15th century the institution of commendatory abbots
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
encouraged the decline of discipline. The Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
curtailed the power of Luxeuil's abbots.
In 1634 however the commendatory abbots ceased, and Luxeuil was joined to the reformed Congregation of St. Vanne
Congregation of St. Vanne
The Congregation of St. Vanne or Congregation of St. Vanne and St. Hydulphe , sometimes also known as the Vannists was a Benedictine reform movement centred on Lorraine. It was formally established in 1604 on the initiative of Dom Didier de La Cour, prior of the Abbey of St...
. From the report of the "Commission des Réguliers", drawn up in 1768, the community appears to have been numerous and flourishing, and discipline well kept.
French Revolution
At the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
the monks were dispersed. Most of the abbey's site is built over by the modern town, but the fine Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church, built in the 14th century, was not destroyed; neither were the cloisters and conventual buildings, which until the "Association Laws" of 1901 were used as a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
for the diocese of Besançon, and still remain in existence. The church itself has for many years served as the parish church of Luxeuil-les-Bains.
See also
- List of Carolingian monasteries
- Carolingian architectureCarolingian architectureCarolingian architecture is the style of north European Pre-Romanesque architecture belonging to the period of the Carolingian Renaissance of the late 8th and 9th centuries, when the Carolingian family dominated west European politics...
- Carolingian artCarolingian artCarolingian art comes from the Frankish Empire in the period of roughly 120 years from about AD 780 to 900 — during the reign of Charlemagne and his immediate heirs — popularly known as the Carolingian Renaissance. The art was produced by and for the court circle and a group of...