Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of Tornac, also known as the Saint Stephen Monastery, is a monastic site founded in the 7th century by Benedictine monks. Partly destroyed several times, it was affiliated with the order of Cluny around 1080. Ruined for the first time in the eighth century, it was placed under the protection of Charlemagne in the ninth century, before being again devastated in the sixteenth century during the wars of religion. Today, its remains offer an overview of its architectural climax.

The church of Saint Peter and Saint Baudile, an outbuilding of the monastery built in the 12th century, became the communal church in the 19th century. Ranked a historical monument in 1911, it is distinguished by its unique nave in Latin cross and its bedside adorned with a frieze with steel teeth. Located 300 metres from the ruins, it bears witness to the religious heritage of the site.

Private property, the monastery is only accessible from outside, while the church, still in activity, retains remarkable Romanesque elements. These two sets illustrate the evolution of religious heritage in Occitanie, between destruction and preservation.

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