Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey of Blagnac, originally called the monastery of Notre-Dame-des-Seven-Douleurs, finds its origins in the 19th century around a castle built in the 17th century. Founded by the Trappistines from the Abbey of Maubec (Drôme) in 1852, the site extends with a neo-Gothic church consecrated in 1862 and unfinished convent buildings. The nuns opened a school for girls and treated the wounded during the 1870 war, before turning a room into a temporary hospital during the First World War.

The castle, built in the middle of the 17th century by Jean d'Aldeguier, baron and treasurer of Toulouse, passes into the hands of several noble owners, including Gaspard de Maniban, president of the Toulouse parliament, who carries out work on it. In the 19th century, it was acquired by General Compans, then expropriated before being redeemed by the Trappistines. The latter left Blagnac in 1938, leaving room for Dominicans who restored the site after the Second World War, marked by German occupation (1943–1944).

The artist Louis Mazetier contributed to the post-war renovation by creating 19 grey glass windows and two coloured stained windows (1946–1951), as well as expressionist murals, including a frieze of the Chemin de Croix. Classified in 2001, the church also houses frescoes and liturgical furniture. Since 1987, the monastery has been shared between the Dominicans and the Community of Beatitudes, after a period of artisanal activities (binding, moulding, pasta) to ensure its survival.

The estate, of neogothic style in the shape of L, includes the original castle, the church, and dependencies of the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Its history reflects the social and religious upheavals of the region, from the gallant festivals of the 19th century to its hospitable role during the two world wars. Today, there remains a place of spirituality and protected heritage, witness to monastic and architectural evolution in Occitanie.

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