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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Occitanie
  4. Hérault
  5. 34600 Villemagne-l'Argentière

  6. Abbey of Villemagne

 Abbey of Villemagne à Villemagne-l'Argentière dans l'Hérault

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine religieux
Abbaye
Hérault

Abbey of Villemagne

    Place de l'Abbaye
    34600 Villemagne-l'Argentière
Private property; property of the municipality
Museums of France
All abbeys, monasteries and priories of France
Abbaye de Villemagne
Abbaye de Villemagne
Crédit photo : Auteur inconnu - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
…
1500
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
VIIe siècle
Foundation of the Abbey
892
Relic deposit
1164
Mine discovery
1560
Protestant Pillage
1661
Return of monks
16 mars 1921
Saint-Majan church ranking
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The tower of the monastery or tower of Mirande, with its staircase (cad. C 1007p): inscription by decree of 26 June 1939 - All the old buildings located inside the Abbatial Enclosure (prior to the 19th century, excluding the contemporary additions of the 19th and 20th centuries), the gardens and soils of the corresponding plots and the soils of the Place Saint-Majan, the Place de l'Abbaye, the rue de la Mirande and the rue des Deux-Porches (corresponding to the extinct part of the Abbatial Church) , in total (Box. C 143-156, 158-168, 1183, 1184, 1395, 1473, 1522, 1538-1544; non-cadastre, public domain): registration by order of 31 July 2007

Key figures

Clarinus - Founder of the Abbey Benedictine monk in the 7th century.
Saint Majan d’Antioche - Holy patron Relics filed in 892.
Claude de Narbonne Caylus - Baron de Faugères Directed looting in 1560.
Louis VII - King of France Granted privileges to the abbey.
Philippe Auguste - King of France Support to the Abbey before 1560.

Origin and history

The abbey of Villemagne was founded in the 7th century by Clarinos, a Benedictine monk, in what is today Villemagne-l'Argentière (formerly Cogne), in the department of l'Hérault. This monastery, linked to the order of St Benedict, became an important religious and economic place thanks to the silver lead mines discovered in 1164 on its territory. Moreover, the name "Argentle" comes from this mining operation, which contributed to its prosperity.

In 892, the abbey received the relics of St. Majan of Antioch, strengthening its spiritual prestige. Until the 16th century, it enjoyed privileges granted by local lords and kings of France, such as Louis VII and Philippe Auguste. However, in 1560, the Protestants led by Claude de Narbonne Caylus, Baron de Faugères, looted and partially destroyed the abbey, forcing the religious to abandon it temporarily. The archives were burned, and the buildings fell to ruin.

A restoration estimate dated 1638 describes an abbey in ruins, with a church whose nave and vaults were destroyed. The monks did not return until 1661, after joining the Congregation of Saint Maur in 1663. The abbey was then restored and survived until the French Revolution, when it was devastated, looted and sold as a national good. Today, several elements, including the Saint-Majan Abbey Church and the Mirande Tower, are protected as historical monuments.

The Abbatial Church of Saint Majan was listed as a historic monument in 1921, followed by the Mirande Tower in 1939. In 2007, all the old buildings located inside the abbatial enclosure, as well as the surrounding gardens and floors, were registered. These protections bear witness to the heritage importance of this site, marked by centuries of religious, economic and architectural history.

The abbey of Villemagne was also linked to outbuildings, such as the church of Saint-Pierre-de-Rhèdes in Lamalou-les-Bains. His history is documented in several books, including those by Jules Renouvier (1840), Honoré Fisquet (1864) and Claude Devic (1872), which detail his architectural evolution and his role in the region.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum