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Origin and history

The Saint Martin Abbey of Troarn, founded in the 11th century, is located in Calvados in Normandy. It was one of the most important Benedictine abbeys in the diocese of Bayeux after Saint-Étienne-de-Caen Abbey. In the 13th century, it housed some 40 monks and played a key role in the development of the Dives marshes, the herbage of the valley of Auge and the vineyards of the Caen countryside. Her influence extended to about fifty churches and several priories, making her a major economic and spiritual player.

The abbey was founded by Roger I of Montgomery in 1022, with monks from Fécamp, then replaced by an autonomous Benedictine community around 1050. The first church, dedicated in 1059, was rebuilt under Father Durand. The abbey benefited from prestigious donations, including William the Conqueror and Roger II of Montgomery, who offered him marshes, churches and lands in England. Mabille de Bellême, wife of Roger II, was buried there in 1077.

Over the centuries, the abbey experienced a great deal of excitement and crisis. She welcomed personalities like Charles IX and Catherine de Medici, but was burned in 1562 by Admiral de Coligny during the Wars of Religion. Sold as a national property in 1792, the site was partially demolished, leaving only a few remains, including a 13th century building classified in 1921. The 14th century portal, now moved to Banneville-la-Campagne, and the tomb of the knight Hugues, a companion of William the Conqueror, still bear witness to his glorious past.

The abbey had a vast temporal scope, including lands, mills, saline, fisheries and seigneurial rights over many parishes. His spatial organization, described in 17th and 18th century reports, included a Latin cross church, a 34-metre-long cloister, dormitories, a refectory and agricultural buildings. The monks, under the rule of Saint-Benoît, also managed eight priories, some of them in the beginning, and exploited various resources such as peat and salt.

The end of the abbey was marked by the decadence under the merchant abbots, especially the Sourches, which held it for 130 years. In 1786, Louis XVI transformed it into a chapter of noble canonesses, but the Revolution dispersed the last monks in 1790. Today, there are only classified remains, recalling its historical and architectural importance in Normandy.

The arms of the abbey, described in the General Armorial of 1696, show a three-flowered dazur coat of arms, while its medieval seals represent St. Martin in episcopal costume. Drawings from the 18th century preserve the memory of his tombs, such as those of Mabille de Bellême or Father Guillaume de Silly, illustrating his rich artistic and funeral heritage.

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