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Origin and history

The abbey of St. Mary's Arles-sur-Tech finds its origins in the eighth century, when the monk Castellanus, who came from Spain, settled as hermit near the ancient thermal baths of Arles (now Amélie-les-Bains). In 778 a document already attests to the existence of a monastery destroyed, then rebuilt in 820 by Abbé Sunifred, brother of the founder of the House of Catalonia. Under the royal protection of Louis le Pieux (Charter of 821), the abbey developed, despite Norman looting in 858. In the tenth century, Abbé Arnulfe reported from Rome the relics of Saints Abdon and Sennen, making Arles-sur-Tech the "city of the Holy Bodies". These relics, placed in a paleo-Christian sarcophagus of the fifth century, attract pilgrims and donations, consolidating the influence of the abbey.

In the 11th century, the abbey passed under the obedience of Cluny, then Moissac. The abbey church, consecrated in 1046 and then in 1157, is enlarged and vaulted, while the Gothic cloister (11th century), by Abbé Ramon Desbac, becomes the first of this style in Northern Catalonia. The Counts of Barcelona, then the kings of Majorca, protect the abbey, which thrives thanks to its possessions (prieurés, hospices) and its role on the road to Santiago. However, conflicts broke out in the 13th century between monks and inhabitants, leading to the sale of the village of Les Bains (Amélie-les-Bains) to King Nuno Sanche in 1235.

The decline began in the 15th century, despite the union with Sorède Abbey in 1592. The French Revolution saved the abbey, became parish church, but monastic buildings were sold. The monument preserves treasures: a sculpted Romanesque facade (XI century) with a Christ in glory, a marble cloister of Ceret, and the Holy Tomb, miraculous sarcophagus drowsing a water deemed curative. Today, the tradition of the Rodella (July 30 procession) perpetuates the worship of Saints Abdon and Sennen, testifying to the historical and spiritual vitality of the site.

The abbey also illustrates Lombard architecture (facade with blind archatures) and Gothic (cloister, capitular hall). Its baroque altarpieces (XVIIth-15th centuries), such as that of Lazare Trémullas (1647), and its 18th century organ enrich its heritage. Classified as a historical monument (1908 for the church, 1862 for the cloister), it embodies the synthesis of Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic influences in Roussillon, while remaining a place of active devotion.

The possessions of the abbey, including the priory Saint-Martin de Fenouillar (before 844) and the hospital of the Pass de la Perche (before 965), underline its role in welcoming pilgrims. The sarcophagus of the Sainte-Tombe, studied in 1961, reveals a hydrological phenomenon linked to rainfall, partially demystifying its miraculous reputation. Despite the spoliations and declines, the abbey remains a symbol of monastic resistance and Catalan identity, between France and Spain.

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