Luxeuil Abbey

Luxeuil Abbey (), the Abbaye Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, was one of the oldest and best-known monasteries in Franche-Comté, located in what is now the département of Haute-Saône in Franche-Comté, France.

History Columbanus The abbey was founded circa 590 by the Irish missionary Saint Columbanus. Columbanus and his companions first settled in cells at Annegray, in the commune of Voivre, Haute-Saône. Looking for a more permanent site for his community, Columbanus decided upon the ruins of a well-fortified Gallo-Roman settlement, Luxovium, about eight miles away.

The Roman town had been ravaged by Attila in 451, and was now buried in the dense overgrown woodland that had filled the abandoned site over more than a century, but the place still had the advantage of the thermal baths ("constructed with unusual skill", according to Columbanus' early biographer, Jonas of Bobbio) down in the valley, which still give the town its name of Luxeuil-les-Bains. Jonas described it further: "There stone images crowded the nearby woods, which were honoured in the miserable cult and profane former rites in the time of the pagans".Ibi imaginum lapidearum densitas vicina saltus densabat, quas cultu miserabili rituque profano vetusta Paganorum tempora honorabant .

With a grant from an officer of the palace at Childebert's court, an abbey church was built with a sense of triumph within the heathen site and its "spectral haunts".ut, ubi olim prophano ritu veteres coluerunt fana, ibi Christi figerentur arae et erigerentur vexilla, habitaculum Deo militantium, quo adversus aërias potestates dimicarent superni Regis tirones .

Under the intellectual and spiritual stimulation of the Irish monks, the abbey at Luxeuil, dedicated to Saint Peter, soon became the most important and flourishing monastery in Gaul. The community was so large that choir followed choir in the chanting of the office, and at Luxeuil the laus perennis imported from Agaunum went on day and night.

Most of the earliest rule that was observed at Luxeuil derived from Celtic monastic traditions, whether or not written down by Columbanus, supplemented increasingly by the more formalized Benedictine Rule that was followed throughout the West, which provided for the abbot's orderly election, his relations with his monks, and the appointment of monastic officials and their delegated powers. In 603, a synod accused Columbanus of keeping Easter by the Celtic date, but his severity and the inflexible rule he had established may have been the true cause of friction with the Burgundian court.

Eustace of Luxeuil Columbanus was exiled from Luxeuil by Theuderic II of Austrasia and the dowager Queen Brunehaut. He was succeeded as abbot by Saint Eustace of Luxeuil, the head of the monastic school, which under Eustace and his successor Saint Waldebert, established a high reputation.Cullen, John. "St. Eustace." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909 The extensive library and the great scriptorium are first attested under Abbot Waldebert (629–670).Hartmann, Martina. "Luxeuil Abbey", Religion Past and Present, Brill, 2006]

The school and example of Luxeuil contributed significantly to the conversion of the Burgundians. Luxeuil sent out monks to found houses at Bobbio, between Milan and Genoa, where Columbanus himself became abbot, and monasteries at Saint-Valéry and Remiremont. To Luxeuil came such monks as Conon, abbot of Lérins Abbey to prepare for the reform of his monastery, and Saints Wandregisel and Philibert, founders respectively of the abbeys of Fontenelle and Jumièges in Normandy, who spent years in studying the rule observed in monasteries which derived their origin from Luxeuil.

Saracen, Viking and Hungarian raids

Luxeuil went into decline in the middle of the eighth century. Its book production ceased and there may have been a long vacancy in the abbotship. It is possible it was the victim of violence, but this is not supported by any near contemporary account. In 816, under the reforming government of the eighteenth abbot, Saint Ansegisus, the Emperor Louis the Pious renewed its charters, restored the church and monastic buildings, and reformed discipline. The monastery and the small town that clustered around its walls were devastated by the Vikings in about 886. In 917, it was sacked by the Hungarians.Victor Spinei, The Great Migrations in the East and South East of Europe from the Ninth to the Thirteenth Century (Romanian Cultural Institute, Center for Transylvanian Studies, 2003), p. 74.

Modern period From the 15th century the institution of non-resident commendatory abbots encouraged the decline of discipline. The Emperor Charles V curtailed the power of Luxeuil's abbots.

In 1634, however, the commendatory abbots ceased, and Luxeuil was joined to the reformed Congregation of St. Vanne. From the report of the "Commission des Réguliers", drawn up in 1768, the community appears to have been numerous and flourishing, and discipline well kept.

French Revolution At the French Revolution the monks were dispersed. Most of the abbey's site is built over by the modern town, but the fine Gothic church, built in the 14th century, was not destroyed; neither were the cloisters and conventual buildings, which until the "Association Laws" of 1901 were used as a seminary for the diocese of Besançon, and still remain in existence. The church itself, now known as the Basilica of St. Pierre (), has for many years served as the parish church of Luxeuil-les-Bains.

List of abbots For a list of abbots, see Henri Baumont, Étude historique sur l'abbaye de Luxeuil (590–1790) (Luxeuil, 1895), appendix I.

590–610 : St Columbanus 610–625 : Eustace 625–670 : St Waldebert 670–6?? : Vindologus 6??–665 : Berthoald 665–682 : Ingofrid 682–6?? : Cunctan 6??–6?? : Rusticus 6??–700 : Sayfrocius (Sayfarius) 700–7?? : Ado 7??–7?? : Arulf 7??–7?? : Rendinus 7??–7?? : Regnebert 7??–7?? : Gerard I 7??–7?? : Ratto 7??–730 : Vinlincrannus (Vuikeranus) 730–731 : St Mellinus 731–746 : vacancy 746–7?? : Frudoald 7??–7?? : Gaylembus 7??–764 : Airibrand 764–7?? : Boso 7??–785 : Grimoald 785–786 : Andrew I 786–7?? : Docto 7??–8?? : Siliernus 8??–817 : Dadinus 817–834 : St Ansegisus 834–834 : Drogo 834–855 : Fulbert 856–888 : St Gibart ???–??? : Eudes I 948–983 : Guy I 983–1018 : Aalongus 1018–10?? : Milo 10??–1049 : William I 1049–10?? : Gerard II 10??–10?? : Roger 10??–10?? : Robert 10??–10?? : Guy II 1090–1023 : Thibaud I 1123–1136 : Hugh I 1136–1139 : Josserand 1139–1147 : Stephen I 1147–1160 : Gerard III 1160–1165 : Peter I 1165–1178 : Sifroi 1178–1186 : Bouchard 1186–1189 : Gerard IV 1189–1201 : Olivier d'Abbans 1201–1204 : Frederick 1204–1209 : Hervé 1209–1219 : Hugh II 1219–1234 : Simon 1234–1265 : Thibaud II 1265–12?? : Régnier 12??–1271 : Hugh III 1271–1287 : Charles I 1287–1308 : Thibaud III de Faucogney 1308–1314 : Stephen II 1314–1319 : vacancy 1319–1345 : Eudes II de Châtillon 1345–1351 : Fromond de Corcondray 1351–1363 : Guillaume II de Saint-Germain 1364–1382 : Aymon de Mollans 1382–1416 : Guillaume III de Bussul 1416–1416 : Pierre II de Lugney 1416–1424 : Étienne III Pierrecy de L'Isle 1424–1427 : Guy III Pierrecy de L'Isle 1427–1431 : Jean I d'Ungelles 1431–1449 : Guy IV Briffaut 1449–1468 : Jean II Jouffroy 1468–1495 : Antoine I de Neuchâtel 1495–1533 : Jean III de La Palud de Varambon 1534–1541 : François I de La Palud de Varambon 1542–1560 : François II Bonvalot 1560–1586 : Antoine II Perrenot de Granvelle 1587–1600 : Louis de Madruce 1600–1601 : André II d'Autriche 1601–1622 : Antoine III de La Baume 1622–1631 : Philippe de La Baume 1633–1642 : Jérôme Coquelin 1642–1671 : Jean–Baptiste Ier Clerc 1671–1671 : Claude–Paul de Bauffremont 1671–1671 : Emmanuel Privey 1671–1680 : Jean–Baptiste II Joseph-Hyacinthe de Bauffremont 1680–1733 : Charles II Emmanuel de Bauffremont 1733–1741 : vacancy 1741–1743 : René de Rohan-Soubise 1743–1790 : Jean IV Louis-Aynard de Clermont-Tonnerre

Luxeuil Abbey

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