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Origin and history

The Abbey of Moutier-d'Ahun was founded in 997 by Boson II of the Marche as a Benedictine monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Located near the ancient Acitodunum (Ahun), it became an influential religious centre, with 22 churches and priories spread over three dioceses. The moutair name (from the Latin monasterium) was francized over the centuries, giving its name to the commune in 1790. Today, nothing remains of the original buildings, the oldest remains dating back to the 12th century.

The Hundred Years' War and religious conflicts deeply marked the abbey. In 1489, the abbey was rebuilt in a Gothic style (porch, nave, transept), but in 1591, the leaguers commanded by Toirac cut down. The fighting against the royal troops of Henry IV, led by Gaspard Foucauld of Saint-Germain-Beaupré, caused the fire and the partial collapse of the abbey. For twenty years, the site was abandoned and looted by the inhabitants for its stones, aggravating the degradation.

In 1610, Clunisian monks returned to live in precarious conditions at the mill. The reconstruction took place from 1612 to 1648, with the late completion of the dormitory. In the 17th century, the abbey was marked by conflicts between abbots (appointed by the king) and monks, who struggled to support themselves with insufficient income. The trials continued until the dissolution of the Clunisian monasteries in 1788 by the king. In 1790 the abbey, declared national property, was sold.

The former abbatial became the parish church in 1844, when it became a member of the Executive Board. The remains of the nave were then razed, leaving room for a garden where a Gallo-Roman leugary pillar (243 AD) and a funeral stele remind the ancient past of the site. The baroque woodwork, made between 1673 and 1681 by the sculptor Simon Bouer's workshop for monks, is now the jewel of the building. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1889, they were restored in the 20th century by Abbé Malapert.

The woodwork, commissioned by priors Jean and Étienne Le Moyne, includes a chest-column altarpiece, 26 stalls decorated with fantastic motifs, a skirt, and a lutrin. This set, typical of provincial baroque art, complemented the woodwork of the nearby church of Ahun. Covered during the Revolution, they were rediscovered and gradually cleaned, revealing monograms of monks engraved on the stalls. Recent treatment has enabled them to be preserved for future generations.

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