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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Abbey of Saint-Nabor, located in Saint-Avold in Moselle, is the only vestige of the Benedictine priory founded in the eighth century by St.Sigisbaud, bishop of Metz. The abbey, under the name of St Peter, adopts the Benedictine rule under St Chrodegang (Minister of Pépin the Brief) and welcomes in 765 the relics of St Nabor, Roman martyr. The village develops around the monastery, taking its present name by linguistic evolution. The scriptorium and the protection of the bishops of Metz reinforce its medieval prestige.

The present abbey church, rebuilt between 1754 and 1769 in classical style by Dom Léopold Durand, replaces an 11th century Romanesque building. It became parish in 1792 after the dissolution of the monastery during the Revolution. Ranked a historic monument in 1930, it houses a rich heritage: statues (XVI century), organs of Chevreux (1770), and modern stained glass windows of Arthur Schouler. Its bell tower peaks at 45 meters, dominating a nave in a Latin cross covered with various vaults.

The Sabbath, the stage of the path of Compostela, symbolizes the transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Its furniture, such as the 18th century woodwork or the painting of the Assumption (classified in 1979), bears witness to its cultural and religious role. The bombings of 1944 destroyed part of the windows and the 15th century Marian altarpiece, but the 1920 bumblebee (6 tons) survived, recalling its tormented history.

The Revolution marked a turning point: the Civil Constitution of the clergy (1791) divided the population, causing the emigration of 63 people in 1793. The church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, parish since the 13th century, was disused in 1792 and partially demolished. Its remains, rue de la Salle, reveal merovingian sarcophagi (VIII century) and a medieval ossuary. The abbey, spared, embodies the resilience of the local heritage.

Lorrain and foreign artists (Melling, Metzinger) participated in its beautification in the 17th–15th centuries. The organ, carved by Jacques Gounin in 1769, and the Munich paintings (1905) illustrate this heritage. The sacristy, with its classified woodwork, preserves the coat of arms of a prince bishop and a pope, emphasizing the links between the abbey and the spiritual and temporal powers.

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