Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of the Moutier, founded in the 11th century on the banks of the Durolle in Thiers, was a Benedictine abbey attached to the Church of Saint-Symphorian. It was placed under Cluny's control in 1011, then adopting the Benedictine rule. Its importance in the 12th century is attested, although only part of the nave and the coasts remain today, the rest having been destroyed by the collapse of a bell tower and floods in 1701.

Over the centuries, the abbey underwent several architectural changes: a 14th century chapel was added to the south of the choir, the western pillars of the cross were redone in the 16th century, and a tower of the west facade was partially rebuilt in the 13th and 19th centuries. In the 18th century, the abbatial home was redesigned in a Louis XVI style, while a choir was built in the 19th century at the site of the old cross.

The abbey gradually lost its influence after the French Revolution, although some monks remained there until that time. The last merchant abbot, Jean Baptiste de Saint-Didier, was chaplain to the Count of Artois. Today, only the Romanesque church of St.Symphorian, the abbey house and its outbuildings bear witness to its prestigious past. The site is open to the public in summer and was listed as a Historic Monument in 2006.

The area surrounding the abbey, formerly separated from the city of Thiers, was attached to it in 1793. The sculpted capitals (foliage, characters) and the remains of the different periods make it a remarkable site of auvergnat religious heritage.

Future

The abbey house of the Moutier is open to visit.

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