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Origin and history

The Abbey of Saint-Polycarpe, located in the present department of Aude, finds its origins in the eighth-sixth century, founded by Attala, a rich Spanish refugee fleeing the sarrazine invasion. The first diploma attesting its existence dates from 844, during the reign of Charles le Chauve. The abbey, under the patronage of Saint Polycarpe, housed relics of the holy bishop of Smyrna, as well as 14th century liturgical objects, probably made in Perpignan. She was in turn dependent on the kings for the temporal and the archbishop of Narbonne for the spiritual, while suffering the lusts of the local lords and neighbouring abbeys like Lagrasse and Alet.

Over the centuries, the abbey experienced periods of decline and rebirth. It was submitted to the Abbey of Alet in the 10th century, then regained its independence in 1169 after legal conflicts. In the 14th century, Abbé Raymond refused to pay a dime requested by Philippe VI de Valois to finance the war of Gascony. The abbey was gradually impoverished by wars, Protestant looting, and the sale of land to pay the ransom of Francis I. Despite this, she retained religious importance, as evidenced by the participation of her last regular abbot, Bernard, in the Council of Pisa in 1405.

The decline accelerated with the introduction of Jansenist ideas in the 18th century. In 1705 Henri-Antoine de la Fitte, a young abbot of Calvinist origin, tried to restore discipline, but tensions with the Archbishop of Narbonne led to the suppression of the abbey in 1771. His possessions were transferred to the seminary of Narbonne, and the library was sent to the home of Limoux. The last monk, Dom Pierre Valès, was murdered in 1773 in the Church of Purification. After the Revolution, the buildings were sold as national property in 1791, and the abbey church became the parish church.

The current remains include elements of the 14th century cloister, comparable to that of the abbey of Saint-Hilaire, as well as Romanesque murals discovered in 1972, inspired by the Apocalypse of John. The church, dedicated to the Virgin, preserves two fronts of altar preromans and a bell tower-porch. A fire in 1891 destroyed part of the convent buildings, and the columns of the cloister were reused to repair that of Saint-Hilaire. The ensemble has been listed as historical monuments since 1990.

The Abbey of Saint-Polycarpe illustrates the political and religious upheavals of the Middle Ages and modern times. Its history reflects the power struggles between lords, abbeys and archbishops, as well as the challenges posed by wars, religious reforms and economic transformations. Today, its remains bear witness to its glorious past and its central role in the spiritual and social life of the region.

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