Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Valsaintes, also known as the Abbey of Simiane or Boulinette, is a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1180 by monks of Silvacane. It is established thanks to a gift from the Lord Bertrand Raimbaud, on a pre-existing site destroyed by the Saracens. Originally located in a nearby valley, it was transferred in 1668 to its present location, where a new church was consecrated in 1672. The monks developed a famous glass factory, but the black plague and the large companies forced them to flee in 1425.

After the Revolution, the abbey was transformed into a farm and then abandoned. In 1996, the association ATHRE bought it and restored part of the buildings, developing a rose garden of 600 species of roses, labeled "remarkable garden" in 2011. A dry garden and an agroecological vegetable garden complete the site, which has been open to the public since 1999. The place preserves traces of its medieval past, like the thick walls of the old chapel.

The site of Valsaintes is occupied from the Paleolithic, as evidenced by the tools discovered on site. In ancient times, he is dedicated to the god Belenos, explaining his current name of Boulinette. The abbey, affiliated sometimes to Morimond, sometimes to Cîteaux, has fiefs like Corbières and Montsalier. After centuries of abandonment, its renaissance in the 20th century made it a major cultural and botanical place in Provence-Alpes-Côte d的Azur.

The present buildings, partially restored, date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. The main wing, rectangular and two-storey, houses the church in its lower part. Gardens, designed to withstand drought, incorporate agroecological techniques such as dry stone walls and associated crops. The Abbey also offers a shop of roses and derived products, perpetuating its link with horticulture.

Among the notable abbots, Dom Tédénat obtained in 1668 the transfer of the monastery to its present site, while Dom François de Bergue was confirmed in his possession by the Parliament of Aix in 1684. Irish monks, such as Malachi d'Armagh, also played a role in its foundation in the 12th century. The coat of arms of the abbey, "from a silver squirrel to a silver squirrel", symbolizes its medieval history.

Future

From 1996 to 1999, some of the buildings were restored and the garden was made of rose garden. In 1999 it was open to the public.

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