Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de la Nativity Abbey of Cadouin was founded in 1115 by Géraud de Salles, a hermit, on a plot given by Robert d'Arbrissel in the forest of Cadouin. She became a Benedictine abbey and became a Cistercian between 1199 and 1201. Its development in the 12th century was marked by the creation of abbey-daughters and the acquisition of the Saint-Suaire, a relic attracting pilgrims and gifts. The abbey's prosperity declined during the Hundred Years War, its buildings falling into ruins around 1357.

In the 15th century, the abbey rose thanks to the support of Louis XI, who financed the reconstruction of the flamboyant Gothic cloister (1482) and raised its radiance. The Saint-Suaire, hidden in Toulouse during the war, was restored in 1462. The wars of Religion and the beginning of the 17th century further weakened the abbey, despite a brief spiritual revival under Father Pierre Mary (1666-1696). The Revolution dispersed the monks in 1790, and the buildings were sold as national goods.

The cloister, bought by the department in 1839, was classified as Historic Monument in 1840, followed by the church (1898) and the convent buildings (1976). The abbey, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 for its role on the roads of Compostela, now houses a facsimile of the Saint-Suaire (an 11th century Fatimid fabric) and a youth hostel. Its architecture combines Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements, including a dome abbey and a cloister with carved columns.

The Holy Shroud, long venerated as a relic of the Passion, was identified in 1934 as an Islamic fabric of the eleventh century, putting an end to the pilgrimage. The manuscripts of the abbey, partially saved from revolutionary destruction, are preserved in the departmental archives of the Dordogne. Since 1994, the Association Les Amis de Cadouin has organized annual conferences to perpetuate its history.

The abbey illustrates the religious and political changes from the Middle Ages to the Revolution, from a Benedictine hermitage to a powerful Cistercian abbey, then to a heritage monument. Its cloister, a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic art, and its Romanesque church with aligned oculi (symbolizing the Orient orientation) make it a major site of New Aquitaine.

Future

The Abbey of Cadouin is one of the 71 monuments as well as 7 portions of paths are inscribed since 1998 on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the official title of "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle in France".

It was at the edge of one of the 4 classic tracks (Via Turonensis, Via Lemovicensis, Via Podiensis and Via Tolosana). The pilgrims therefore had to make a detour to visit it.

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