List of Benedictine monasteries in France

This is a list of Benedictine monasteries, extant and non-extant, in the present territory of France. It includes both monks and nuns following the Rule of Saint Benedict, excluding the Cistercians, for whom see List of Cistercian monasteries in France. Some monasteries however belonged at various times in their histories to both the Benedictines and the Cistercians.

At different times these religious houses have formed various orders, congregations or groups, of which the main ones, as far as French monasteries are concerned, are the following:

The dates in brackets indicate the start and end dates of an abbey's status as a Benedictine monastery, which are not necessarily the same as the dates of its foundation or suppression. All religious houses in France were suppressed during the French Revolution, most of them in 1791. Some communities were revived, and many more new ones established, during the 19th century, but were forced to leave France by anti-clerical legislation during the 1880s (principally the Ferry Laws), and again in the first decades of the 20th century under the Association Act, 1901 (the Waldeck-Rousseau Law).

Abbeys and independent priories currently in operation are indicated by bold type.

Dependent priories are not generally noted in this list, except for a few unusually significant ones.


A

Saint-Germain d'Auxerre

B

Brantôme Abbey
Baume Abbey
Bec Abbey
St. Cross Abbey, Bordeaux

C

La Chaise-Dieu Abbey
Conques Abbey church
Corbie Abbey

D

E

F

Fécamp Abbey

G

Gaillac Abbey
  • Gaël Abbey, or Abbey of St John, Gaël (Abbaye Saint-Jean de Gaël), monks (Gaël, Ille-et-Vilaine): predecessor of Saint-Méen Abbey, qv
  • Gaillac Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Michel de Gaillac), Diocese of Albi (Gaillac, Tarn)
  • Ganagobie Abbey, also Priory (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Ganagobie), monks (Ganagobie, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
  • Gaussan Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Gaussan) (founded as a priory in 1994, raised to an abbey in 2004) (Bizanet, Aude)
  • Gellone Abbey: see Abbaye de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
  • Gercy Abbey otherwise Jarcy Abbey (Abbaye de Gercy or Jarcy), nuns, Diocese of Paris (?-1791) (Varennes-Jarcy, Essonne)
  • Gif Abbey (Abbaye de Gif), nuns, Diocese of Paris (Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne)
  • Gigny Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Gigny) (Gigny, Jura)
  • Glandières Abbey otherwise La Glandière Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Martin de Glandières or de la Glandière), Diocese of Metz (Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold, Moselle)
Gigny Abbey (Jura)

H

Hambye Abbey

I

J

Jumièges Abbey

K

Abbey of St Anne, Kergonan

L

Landévennec Abbey

M

Marmoutier Abbey
Moissac Abbey
Meymac Abbey
Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
Murbach Abbey

N

Nouaillé-Maupertuis Abbey

O

P

Preuilly Abbey

Q

R

  • Randol Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Randol), monks (1981-) (Saint-Saturnin, Puy-de-Dôme) [64]
  • La Réole Priory or La Réaule Priory (Prieuré de La Réole or de la Réaule), monks, Diocese of Lescar (La Réole, Gironde)
  • Rebais Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Rebais), monks, Diocese of Meaux (Rebais, Seine-et-Marne)
  • Redon Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Sauveur de Redon), monks (832-1790), Diocese of Vannes (Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine)
  • Reims (Marne), Diocese of Reims:
    • St Nicasius' Abbey, Reims (Abbaye Saint-Nicaise de Reims), monks[65]
    • St Peter's Abbey, Reims (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Reims), nuns
    • St Remigius' Abbey, Reims (Abbaye Saint-Remi de Reims, later Basilique Saint-Remi de Reims), monks
    • St Thierri's Abbey, Reims (Abbaye Saint-Thierri de Reims), monks[66]
    • St Timothy's Abbey, Reims (Abbaye Saint-Thimotée de Reims)
  • Remiremont Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Remiremont or Saint-Mont), double monastery (monks and nuns), Diocese of Toul later Diocese of Saint-Dié (Remiremont, Vosges)
  • Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), Diocese of Rennes:
    • Abbey of St George, Rennes (Abbaye Saint-Georges de Rennes), nuns
    • Abbey of St Melaine, Rennes (Abbaye Saint-Melaine de Rennes), monks
  • Rhuys Abbey or Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Gildas de Rhuys), monks, Diocese of Vannes (Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, Morbihan)
  • Ribemont Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Nicolas-des-Prés de Ribemont), monks, Diocese of Laon (Ribemont, Aisne)
  • Rocamadour Abbey or Roquamadour Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Rocamadour or Roquemadour), administratively in the Diocese of Tulle but situated in the Diocese of Cahors (Rocamadour, Lot)
  • La Rochette Abbey or Abbey of St Joseph de La Rochette (Abbaye Saint-Joseph de La Rochette, Abbaye de La Rochette), nuns (Belmont-Tramonet, Savoie); founded in 1824 at the Château de la Rochette in Cuire-le-Bas, Caluire-et-Cuire (Rhône); became an abbey in 1837; moved to Belmont-Tramonet in 1970[67]
  • Abbey of St Saturnin, Rodez (Abbaye Saint-Saturnin de Rodez or Abbaye de Saint-Sernin de Rodez), nuns, Diocese of Rodez (Rodez, Aveyron)
  • Ronceray Abbey (Abbaye du Ronceray d'Angers or Abbaye Notre-Dame du Ronceray), nuns, Diocese of Angers (1028-?) (Angers, Maine-et-Loire)
  • Abbaye Notre-Dame de Miséricorde de Rosans, nuns, Diocese of Gap (founded 1991) (Rosans, Hautes-Alpes)
  • Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Rosheim (Abbaye Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur de Rosheim), nuns (Rosheim, Bas-Rhin)[68]
  • Rouen (Seine-Maritime), Diocese of Rouen:
    • Abbey of St Amand, Rouen (Abbaye Saint-Amand de Rouen), nuns
    • Abbey of St Ouen, Rouen (Abbaye Saint-Ouen de Rouen), monks
  • Rougemont Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Rougemont), nuns, Diocese of Dijon (moved to Dijon 1673) (Rougemont, Côte-d'Or)
  • Royallieu Abbey or Royal-Lieu Abbey (Abbaye de Royallieu or Royal-Lieu), nuns, Diocese of Soissons (Compiègne, Oise)

S

Abbey of Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte
Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe
Saint-Sever Abbey
Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes
Abbey of Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache

T

U

  • Abbey of St Scholastica, Urt (Abbaye de Saint-Scholastique d'Urt), nuns (Urt, Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
  • Uzerche Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Pierre d'Uzerche), monks, Diocese of Limoges (Uzerche, Corrèze)

V

Val-de-Grâce Abbey (Paris)

W

  • Wisques, Pas-de-Calais:
    • Abbey of Our Lady, Wisques (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Wisques), nuns
    • Abbey of St Paul, Wisques (Abbaye Saint-Paul de Wisques), monks (1910-) [99]

Y

  • Yerres Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Yerres), nuns, Diocese of Paris (?-1791) (Yerres, Essonne)[100]
  • Yzeure Priory otherwise Yzeure Abbey (Abbaye d'Yzeure, Prieuré Saint-Pierre d'Yzeure), nuns (a Benedictine abbey until c 1151, when it became a priory of Saint-Menoux Abbey) (Yzeure, Allier)[101][102]

Notes

  1. ^ The English Congregation returned to England because of the French Revolution and now forms part of the Benedictine Confederation
  2. ^ Ainay Abbey website
  3. ^ the precursor of Alet Cathedral
  4. ^ "Website of the Cultural Encounter Centre, Ambronay". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  5. ^ formerly sometimes Andlaw
  6. ^ Diocese of Séez website: Argentan Abbey Archived 2008-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Asnières Abbey website
  8. ^ Ministère de la Culture: L'Abbaye Saint-Germain d'Auxerre
  9. ^ Le Barroux Abbey website Archived 2008-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Bassac Abbey website Archived 2008-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Bec Abbey website". Archived from the original on 2005-07-09. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  12. ^ Bellaigue Abbey website Archived 2008-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ 950-1136: Benedictine priory; 1136-37: Benedictine abbey; 1137-1791: Cistercian abbey; 2000- Benedictine abbey)
  14. ^ Belloc Abbey website Archived 2008-12-27 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Blesle municipal website: Blesle Abbey Archived 2008-11-14 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ formerly Saint-Martin-au-Val
  17. ^ Gallic Orthodox Church website: Bois-Aubry Abbey
  18. ^ Boscherville Abbey website Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Encyclopédie de Bourges website: St. Sulpicius' Abbey, Bourges Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Bourgueil Abbey website Archived 2005-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Daughters of Calvary (Bénédictines de Notre-Dame du Calvaire); previously at Kerbeneat (1634-1976) and Landerneau (1976-2002)
  22. ^ a b English Benedictine nuns in exile
  23. ^ historically this was a priory, not an abbey, but the description, attached to the present ensemble of buildings, has become well-established
  24. ^ La Chaise-Dieu Abbey website
  25. ^ Chantelle Abbey website
  26. ^ Château-Chalon village website
  27. ^ this may well have been a priory rather than an abbey
  28. ^ Data.bnf.fr Abbaye Saint-Pierre, Chaumes-en-Brie
  29. ^ "Archives du département du Rhône: Abbaye des Chazeaux (Lyon)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
  30. ^ Clairval Abbey website
  31. ^ Crespin municipal website: Crespin Abbey Archived 2007-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ Cuxa Abbey website
  33. ^ En-Calcat Abbey website
  34. ^ Fleury Abbey website
  35. ^ Fontdouce Abbey website
  36. ^ raised to a bishopric in 1742: see Diocese of Saint-Claude
  37. ^ Friends of Guîtres Abbey website
  38. ^ Camaldolese from 1680
  39. ^ Abbey website
  40. ^ Daughters of Calvary (Bénédictines de Notre-Dame du Calvaire). Previously at Landerneau (1634-1976); afterwards at Bouzy-la-Forêt
  41. ^ Website of the Abbey of St Anne, Kergonan
  42. ^ sometimes La Grasse Abbey
  43. ^ Daughters of Calvary (Bénédictines de Notre-Dame du Calvaire). Founded in 1634; transferred in 1976 to Kerbeneat in Plounéventer; merged in 2002 with Bouzy-la-Forêt.
  44. ^ Website of Friends of St. Vincent's Abbey website
  45. ^ At first a Benedictine priory, later a house of secular canonesses from the Auvergnat nobility. Raised to the status of abbey in 1719
  46. ^ Diocese of Coutances website: Lessay Abbey Archived 2008-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Ligugé Abbey website
  48. ^ secularised in 1535
  49. ^ destroyed by Protestants in 1568
  50. ^ the church, still extant, was dedicated to Saint Sebastian
  51. ^ Abbey of St Peter, Le Mans: website Archived 2005-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
  52. ^ Marmoutier Abbey website
  53. ^ also known as Maursmunster Abbey
  54. ^ a b Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes website
  55. ^ Mas-Grenier Abbey website; founded in the 19th century and suppressed during the Revolution; reoccupied in 1921 by the Benedictines of the Perpetual Adoration of Toulouse, exiled in 1904
  56. ^ Maumont Abbey website
  57. ^ Maylis Abbey website
  58. ^ "Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey website". Archived from the original on 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  59. ^ Montceau Abbey website Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  60. ^ Commune of Nouaillé-Maupertuis website: Nouaillé Abbey
  61. ^ "Diocese of Pamiers website: Abbey of Notre-Dame du Pesquié". Archived from the original on 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  62. ^ "Pontlevoy Abbey website". Archived from the original on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  63. ^ Preuilly-sur-Claise municipal website: Preuilly Abbey Archived 2008-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  64. ^ "Randol Abbey website". Archived from the original on 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  65. ^ joined to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris in 1641
  66. ^ joined to the Archbishopric of Reims in 1696
  67. ^ Section of the Abbaye de La Rochette on the website of Jouarre Abbey (in French)
  68. ^ Benedictines of the Holy Sacrament; nunnery founded in 1862
  69. ^ Abbey of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe website
  70. ^ often inaccurately called Saint-André de Sorède
  71. ^ Diocese of Poitiers website: St. Cross Abbey, Saint-Benoît Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  72. ^ Saint-Jacut Abbey website
  73. ^ Abbey of St Lioba website[permanent dead link‍]
  74. ^ later secular canonesses
  75. ^ Website of the Abbaye Saint-Louis du Temple; this community was originally in the Abbey of Saint-Louis-du-Temple, in the remains of the former Temple, Paris (1816-48); later in the Rue Monsieur in Paris (1851-1938); and then at Meudon (1938-51)
  76. ^ Abbey of Saint-Michel-en-Thiérache website
  77. ^ Saint-Omer town website: Abbey of St. Bertin, Saint-Omer Archived 2008-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
  78. ^ created a cathedral in 1317
  79. ^ or Generest, Génerez, Générez, Géneres, or Génerès
  80. ^ united with the bishopric in 1778
  81. ^ Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe website
  82. ^ Website of the Abbaye Saint-Wandrille
  83. ^ Site of the Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes
  84. ^ raised to a bishopric in 1318
  85. ^ the community was founded in Brignon forest by L'Absie Abbey, whence the name Abbaye de l'Absie-en-Brignon, of which the others are variants (BNF)
  86. ^ "Solesmes Abbey website". Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  87. ^ Sorèze Abbey and School website
  88. ^ in the Quercy
  89. ^ mother house of the Tironensian Order
  90. ^ Benedictine from 850 to 1073
  91. ^ Tournay Abbey website
  92. ^ Val-de-Grâce webpage
  93. ^ The town was known as Charenton-Saint-Maurice until 1842. The community of nuns was moved here after 1685 from Val-d'Osne in Osne-le-Val, Haute-Marne, to re-settle the site of a destroyed Protestant church
  94. ^ Valognes Abbey website
  95. ^ the original buildings became a hospital, which they remain; the abbey was re-established in 1810 in a former convent of the Capuchins, which was vacant by then
  96. ^ Venière Abbey website Archived 2009-01-08 at the Wayback Machine
  97. ^ Verneuil Abbey website Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
  98. ^ Abbayes-Normandie.com: Abbaye Saint-Nicolas, Verneuil-sur-Avre
  99. ^ Website of the Abbey of St Paul, Wisques Archived 2008-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
  100. ^ Website of the Société d'art, histoire et archéologie de la vallée de l'Yerres: l'Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Yerres
  101. ^ BNF.fr: Prieuré Saint-Pierre, Yzeure
  102. ^ L'église Saint-Pierre d'Yzeure: photos of the former priory church

See also

References

  • Gallia Christiana
  • Gaussin, Pierre-Roger, nd: Les cohortes du Christ, Ouest-France
  • Gazeau, Véronique, 2007: Normannia monastica, princes normands et abbés bénédictins. Prosopograpie des abbés bénédictins (2 vols). Publications du CRAHM. ISBN 978-2-902685-38-7
  • Laffont, Robert, nd: Dictionnaire des églises de France, Belgique, Luxembourg, Suisse (Tome II-B)
  • Le Bras, G., Hourlier, J., Cocheril, M., 1979: Les ordres religieux, la vie et l'art. Tome 1: Monastères et communautés ; Les Bénédictins ; Les Cisterciens ; Les Chartreux ; Les ordres militaires. Flammarion: Paris. ISBN 2-08-010028-9
  • Schmitz, Philibert, 1942: Histoire de l'ordre de Saint-Benoît (2 vols). Maredsous: Les Éditions de Maredsous