Origin and history
The Abbey of Saint-Gildas de Rhuys, located in Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys in Brittany, is a Benedictine abbey founded according to the legend by Saint Gildas in the 6th century. Its history, poorly known, is marked by three major periods: a primitive Breton foundation (VIth–Xth century), a Romanesque reconstruction from 1008 by monks of Fleury, and a major transformation in the XVII–XVIII centuries after centuries of decline and destruction.
The first abbey, founded around 538 according to the hagiographic tradition, was reportedly directed by St Gildas until his death in 565. Little archaeological or written evidence remains, but evidence suggests its existence before the 10th century: the flight of the monks to Deols in 919 in front of Viking raids, the mention of an inventory of books of the 10th century, and the assertions of the monks of Fleury in 1008, who claim to raise the ruins of an earlier monastery. These elements, though fragmentary, support the hypothesis of an early foundation.
The second period (1008–15th century) is better documented thanks to the Romanesque church, tombs, and some archives. In 1008 the Duke Geoffroy I of Brittany asked the abbey of Fleury to send monks, led by Saint Felix, to restore Saint Gildas. The monastery then developed, with figures like St.Gustan and Fr.Vital, alleged author of a Life of St.Glidas around 1060. The abbey acquires about twenty priories, including that of Locminé, and cultivates the relics of Saint Gildas and other celtic saints. However, internal and external tensions persist, as evidenced by the tumultuous abbatiate of Pierre Abélard (1125–1313), who describes unruly monks, more busy hunting than praying.
The third period (15th-15th century) is marked by the beginning, which precipitates the decline of the abbey. In 1629 his property was attached to the duchy of Châteauroux. Lightning destroyed the nave in 1668, resulting in neoclassical reconstruction by architect Olivier Delourme (1699–1705). At the Revolution, the monks were expelled, and the buildings, sold as national goods, were bought in 1804 by Mother Saint-Louis, founder of the Sisters of Charity. The latter set up a school, then an orphanage, before becoming a cultural and spiritual centre in the 20th century.
The Abbey, classified as a historical monument in 1840, combines Romanesque elements (chœur, transept nord, capitals) and neo-classical elements (nef, western facade). The treasure, saved during the Revolution, includes reliquaries of the 14th–15th centuries, including a chief reliquary of St Gildas. The restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries partially altered bedside and modillons, but preserved the Romanesque spirit of the building. Today, the abbey, open to the public, combines historical heritage and religious vocation.
The site, located on the Rhuys peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean, was once surrounded by dense forest. Its history reflects the upheavals of medieval and modern Brittany, from Viking invasions to the Revolution, to Maurist reforms. The archives, partly lost during the Hundred Years' War, leave shades, but recent excavations and studies (XX–XXI century) gradually illuminate this emblematic monastery.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review