Martin-du-Canigou
Encyclopedia
Martin-du-Canigou is a monastery
built in 1009 in the Pyrenees
on Canigou
mountain in present day southern France
near the Spanish
border.
, in the Pyrénées-Orientales
département (42°31′41.32"N 2°24′03.21"E).
monastery was built from 1005 to 1009 by Guifred, Count of Cerdanya (Fr
. Cerdagne), in atonement for the murder of his son and was populated by Benedictine monks.
In 1049, Guifred, Count of Cerdanya, died at the monastery he had built. In 1051 a messenger set forth to visit religious houses throughout Europe to solicit prayers for his dead master. He brought a parchment upon which at each stop were added words of prayer and respect. This parchment has survived and scholars (including Léopold Delisle with his Rouleaux des Morts du IX au XV Siecle of 1866) have used it to discover differences in culture between northern and southern Europe in a single given year. Some of the discoveries from this important document include that southern culture was more staid and bound by custom while the northern culture more free form and experimental in their writing styles, use of words and grammar.
The monastery was damaged in the Catalan earthquake of 1428
.
The monastery was secularized in 1782 by Louis XVI.
The monastery was abandoned by the monks in 1783-1785 and fell into disrepair.
During the Terror
, the abbey was closed, and its contents scattered. The buildings were then transformed into a stone quarry for nearby residents, the capitals of the cloister were looted, as well as sculptures and furniture.
In 1902, the bishop of Elne and Perpignan, because of his Catalan
background, began to restore the ruins radically, work that was completed in 1932. Today it is occupied by the Catholic Community of the Beatitudes
.
style; the lower church, dedicated to St. Mary, and the upper, dedicated to St. Martin.
The rest of the convent buildings date from the early 20th century.
The cloister once had two levels, the first built in the early 11th century and the second to the late 12th century. The lower level, which showed vaulted galleries and semicircular arches was bare of any decoration. Nowadays, there remain only three galleries that have been heavily restored, lacking their original character. The upper level, had marble capitals, which were scattered after the closure of the monastery during the French Revolution
. The restoration recovered some, which were incorporated in the new southern gallery.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
built in 1009 in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
on Canigou
Canigou
The Canigou is a mountain located in the Catalan Pyrenees of southern France.Due to its sharp flanks and its dramatic location close to the coast, until the 18th century the Canigou was believed to be the highest mountain in the Pyrenees.-Trekking and sightseeing:Spectacular jeep tracks on the...
mountain in present day southern 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...
near the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
border.
Location
The monastery is located on the territory of the commune of CasteilCasteil
Casteil is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, part of the historical Conflent comarca. The abbey Martin-du-Canigou is located above Casteil.-References:*...
, in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. It also surrounds the tiny Spanish enclave of Llívia, and thus has two distinct borders with Spain.- History :...
département (42°31′41.32"N 2°24′03.21"E).
History
The original Romanesque styleRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
monastery was built from 1005 to 1009 by Guifred, Count of Cerdanya (Fr
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Cerdagne), in atonement for the murder of his son and was populated by Benedictine monks.
In 1049, Guifred, Count of Cerdanya, died at the monastery he had built. In 1051 a messenger set forth to visit religious houses throughout Europe to solicit prayers for his dead master. He brought a parchment upon which at each stop were added words of prayer and respect. This parchment has survived and scholars (including Léopold Delisle with his Rouleaux des Morts du IX au XV Siecle of 1866) have used it to discover differences in culture between northern and southern Europe in a single given year. Some of the discoveries from this important document include that southern culture was more staid and bound by custom while the northern culture more free form and experimental in their writing styles, use of words and grammar.
The monastery was damaged in the Catalan earthquake of 1428
Catalan earthquake of 1428
The Catalan earthquake of 2 February 1428, known in Catalan as the terratrèmol de la candelera because it took place during the Candlemas, struck the region of Catalonia, especially Roussillon, with an epicentre near Camprodon. The quake was one of a series of related seismic events that shook...
.
The monastery was secularized in 1782 by Louis XVI.
The monastery was abandoned by the monks in 1783-1785 and fell into disrepair.
During the Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
, the abbey was closed, and its contents scattered. The buildings were then transformed into a stone quarry for nearby residents, the capitals of the cloister were looted, as well as sculptures and furniture.
In 1902, the bishop of Elne and Perpignan, because of his Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
background, began to restore the ruins radically, work that was completed in 1932. Today it is occupied by the Catholic Community of the Beatitudes
Community of the Beatitudes
The Community of the Beatitudes is one of the "new communities" established in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council in the movement of the Charismatic Renewal Movement. It was founded in France in 1973, and came under the ecclesial authority of the Archbishop of Albi in southern...
.
Buildings
The abbey consists of two churches in the First RomanesqueFirst Romanesque
First Romanesque is the name due to Josep Puig i Cadafalch to refer to the Romanesque art developed in Catalonia since the late 10th century....
style; the lower church, dedicated to St. Mary, and the upper, dedicated to St. Martin.
- The lower church is predominantly black, and vault height rarely exceeds 3 meters. The eastern part (apses and adjacent bay) probably dates back to the consecration of 1009, while the rest of the building dates from the years 1010-1020, in conjunction with work after acquiring the relics of St. Ganders and new consecration of the church.
- The upper church was built between the years 1010-1020 (at the same time as the expansion of the lower church). Its construction required the strengthening of the columns of the lower church, which were enclosed in square piles. Similar to the lower church, the Saint-Martin church is composed of three naves separated by monolithic columns and barrel vaulted semicircular (except between the third and fourth bay, where the pair of support is cruciform in shape and arch supports).
- The gatehouse is no longer than 19 meters after being damaged in the 1428 earthquake. It was never fully restored.
The rest of the convent buildings date from the early 20th century.
The cloister
Since the restorations of 1900-1920 it is difficult to imagine the original appearance of the cloister.The cloister once had two levels, the first built in the early 11th century and the second to the late 12th century. The lower level, which showed vaulted galleries and semicircular arches was bare of any decoration. Nowadays, there remain only three galleries that have been heavily restored, lacking their original character. The upper level, had marble capitals, which were scattered after the closure of the monastery during the French Revolution
French 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 restoration recovered some, which were incorporated in the new southern gallery.