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Origin and history

The abbey of Saint-Satur, founded in the fifth century by Saint Romble, settles in the Loire Valley, near Sancerre. Initially a convent, it became a canonical abbey in the 11th century under the impulse of Mathilde de Château-Gordon and Archbishop Aymon de Bourbon. Saint Augustine's regular canons settled in 1107, replacing secular canons. The Romanesque church, consecrated in 1104, suffered fire and looting, notably by the English in 1361 and 1420, then by the Protestants in 1567.

The reconstruction of the church, begun in the 14th century, remains unfinished despite the efforts of the monks. In the 17th century, Abbé Claude de Toullongeon finished the vault and covered the building. The abbey experienced a decline in the 18th century, marked by conflicts over the rights of bac on the Loire and its suppression in 1757. The community was dissolved in 1775, and the church became parish. The remaining buildings, such as the large refectory (1717) or the entrance door (1768-1769), bear witness to its architectural evolution.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the abbey retains medieval and modern elements, including the 13th century press (old hospice) and the remains of the two courtyards (conventual and abbey mense). Saint Peter's Abbey, today a parish church, embodies this religious heritage marked by wars, reconstructions and institutional transformations. Its enclosure, divided into separate spaces, reflects the monastic organization of the Ancien Régime.

The relics of Saint Saturn, a companion of the martyrs Perpetue and Félicité, offered by Pope Pascal I via Archbishop Raoul of Turenne, founded the spiritual legitimacy of the abbey. Mathilde's donations and the protection of the lords of Sancerre ensure its survival until the destruction of the Wars of Religion. The beginning and local conflicts, such as that of the right of bac in 1732, illustrate the tensions between abbatial power and civil authorities.

The current architecture combines traces of the reconstructions of the 14th century (unfinished heart), additions of the 18th century (convenient buildings) and older elements, such as Gordon Castle. The entrepreneurs Ravot (Blaise and Jacques) and the carpenter Deron participated in the work of the 17th and 18th centuries. Property shared between the municipality and private individuals, the site remains a major testimony of Berry's religious heritage.

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