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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The abbey of Saint-Pierre de Psalmodia, founded probably in the seventh century by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Victor of Marseille, implanted on an eminence dominating the marshes of the Rhone delta. Its strategic location favours the exploitation of fisheries and salt, the basis of its economic development. The first charters, although partially falsified, suggest an ancient foundation and rapid growth thanks to imperial gifts and privileges.

In the Middle Ages, the abbey enjoyed the protection of the Carolingian emperors: Charlemagne (Charter of 791, albeit false), Louis le Debonnaire (816), and Charles le Chauve (851) strengthened his prestige. In 908, the Saracen raids forced the monks to flee, but the abbey was rebuilt as early as 1004, extending its influence thanks to the trade of salt via its river ports, like Notre-Dame-des-Ports. Its peak in the 12th century coincides with a regained autonomy after a period of dependence on Saint-Victor (1052–1096).

The decline began in the 15th century, accelerated by secularization in 1537, when the monks took refuge at the Collège Notre-Dame de la Salvat. The present ruins resulted from a fire in 1703 during the Camisard War, followed by the sale of goods as national goods during the Revolution. Today, the remains classified in 1984 bear witness to its glorious past, marked by a salicier economy and a religious influence radiating over the south of France.

The excavations and the cartular reconstructed in the 18th century by Noël Loys, a Nîmes jurist, reveal a complex history, where false history and reality mingle. The sale of the port of Notre-Dame-des-Ports to Louis IX in 1248, for the construction of Aigues-Mortes, illustrates its geopolitical role. The abbey, a symbol of spiritual and economic power, also embodies the medieval upheavals, from the Saracen invasions to the religious conflicts of modern times.

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