Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey of Lure, located in Lure (Haute-Saône), was founded in the 7th century by Saint Desle, disciple of Saint Colomban. Located near the pond of la Font, she received royal gifts such as those of Clotaire II, who offered her land after an accidental encounter. The abbey became an influential place, attracting donations from local nobles and enriching itself with privileges such as autonomy under the Holy Empire.

In the 9th century, the abbey was reformed under the rule of Saint-Benoît and suffered from Hungarian invasions before being restored in the 10th century by Abbé Baudran, under the protection of Otto the Great. He granted him princely rights, including the right to beat money, and placed it under the direct sovereignty of the Holy See. The abbots became princes of the Empire, with extensive rights such as monetary strike or justice.

In 1556, the abbey joined Murbach, strengthening its influence. Despite the destruction of the Thirty Years' War and its annexation to the Franche-Comté in 1679, it retained certain privileges until its secularization in 1764. Transformed into a noble chapter, it housed six canons before the Revolution. Today, its 17th and 18th century buildings house the sub-prefecture, and only a few elements remain, such as canonical houses and a botanical garden.

The abbey church, destroyed, saw its stones re-used. The Abbey Palace, listed as a Historic Monument, bears witness to its prestigious past. The abbey played a major economic role, exploiting coal mines in Champagney before their nationalization. Its history reflects tensions between local, imperial and royal authorities, as well as the evolution of monastic structures in Europe.

Among the notable figures, Saint Desle, founder Merovingian, and Abbé Baudran, reconstructor in the tenth century, stand out. Charles Quint authorized the minting of money in the 16th century, while Louis XIV definitively joined the abbey in the Kingdom of France. These stages illustrate its political and religious importance throughout the centuries.

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