Things to See in the Languedoc: Historic
Abbeys, Priories, Monasteries and Convents: Valmagne
  In
1139 Raymond Trencavel, Viscount of Béziers founded
the Abbey of Valmagne in the Parish of Villeveyrac, near the
port of Méze on the "Bassin de Thau". Originally
Valmagne was founded under the Benedictine order but in 1159
the monks joined the Cistercian
movement.
The Abbey, in the modern Hérault
département, is one of the few Abbeys
of the Languedoc to have survived the vicissitudes of
the French Revolution in good shape, though some restoration
has been necessary.
|
From the XII th. to the XIII Th. Century, Valmagne
was one of the richest abbeys in South of France
The early days of the abbey were a period of great
prestige, growing wealth and expansion, as the Catholic
Church in general and the Cistercian order in particular
engineered the dispossession of the
Counts of Toulouse and Viscounts of Béziers
and Carcassonne, during the Crusade
against the Cathars and the subsequent Annexation
of the Languedoc to France
Valmagne suffered during the Hundred Years Wars, and
later of the Wars
of Religion. The attack of the Huguenots
in 1575, organised by Valmagne's own abbot, who had
joined the Reformers, was a disaster for the Abbey.
The glass of the rose windows and clerestories were
broken, and the abbey took two centuries to recover
even part of its original splendour.
|
|
|
The Abbey Church
|
 |
|
|
At the Revolution in 1789, the last five monks fled
just ahead of peasants who invaded and ransacked the
abbey, burning documents, furniture and works of art.
Confiscated as a national property, the abbey was sold
in 1791 to Mr Granier-Joyeuse who turned the church
into a vine cellar, placing massive vats in the nave
and chapels, which at least prevented the building from
becoming a stone quarry, the fate of most French abbeys.
On the 29 Th. of July 1838, following the death of
Mr. Granier, the abbey and its dependencies were sold
to the Count de Turenne, and still remains in the possession
of his descendants.
The actual church in classical Gothic style was begun
in 1257 on the foundations of the original Romanesque
chapel, which had become too small for the ever-increasing
number of monks. Inspired by the cathedrals of the North
of France; it measures 83 meters long and 24 meters
high.
The cloister has the charm of a Tuscan garden, with
the Chapter House and its ribbed vault, and its fountain
bringing pure fresh water from the spring of Diana.
|
|
|
Wine Barrels in the Chapels
|
 |
|
The owners have won prizes in recognition of the work done
to restore the Abbey and has been open to the public since
1975. The abbey has been fully restored, new bells having
been put back in the bell tower. Classed as Historical Monument
the site is open to visitors every day in summer and in the
afternoon during winter.
Gardens include:
- The Cloister Garden. Cistercian
Monks were not allowed to leave the Monastery. This
inner courtyard would allow them to admire blue sky
and a peaceful garden. Citeaux roses, specially created
for Cistercian abbeys and black bamboos provide a
distinctive charm.
- Medieval Garden. Outside near the St Blaise
chapel, which was also the “porterie” where
the gardian use to stay, a medieval garden has been
created on the model of St Gall. In the Middle Age,
the monks used to grow plants to feed themselves,
cure illnesses and decorate altars. This reconstitution
shows the vegetable plants ‘hortus’ , the
medicinal plants ‘herbularius’, a green
cloister and a monk’s cemetery.
- The Grape Conservatory - Located on the
opposite side of the Medieval Garden, where you can
identify the different grapes used in the wines of
the Valmagne vineyards, including: Roussanne, Marsanne,
Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Morrastel
|
|
|
The Cloister Garden
|
 |
|
More
about the Abbey of Valmagne 
|
|
Back to last page: Churches and Cathedrals |
|
Next Page: The Languedoc
Coast 
|
|
|
