The former Benedictine Abbey of Montmajour (Mont-Major), perched on a rocky hill 5km/3mi northeast of Arles, rather like a fortress, was founded in the 10th century and throughout the Middle Ages was an important place of pilgrimage. This pilgrimage could lead to the "Pardon of Montmajour" and provided the monastery with a plentiful source of income. Other monasteries were founded by the monks from this abbey.
The plain surrounding the hill was originally marsh and alluvial land and was not drained until the abbey was founded. At the start of the 18th century the Baroque buildings were begun, as the original 12th century buildings had largely fallen into disrepair; however in 1785/86 the abbot, Cardinal Rohan, was implicated in the famous "necklace" affair and the monastery was closed. In 1791, together with most church property, it was confiscated and sold.
The large plan drawings in the lobby of the ticket office offer an initial overview of the abbey; other sketches are to be found in the parts of the abbey open to the public.
From the crypt the single-aisled church above can be reached; this is a short, rugged, austere building In Montmajour with only two bays in the nave, a semicircular main apse and two side apses; at the end of the left transept is the square Chapelle Notre-Dame-la-Blanche. In the 18th C. plans were made to extend the nave considerably to the west, but the plans were never realized.
Address: Abbaye de Montmajour, Route de Fontvieille, F-13200 Arles, France
To the west of the Montmajour Romanesque buildings are the ruins of extensions to it which date from the Baroque period and which are not open to the public. This enormous construction - a length of 135m/443ft was planned, while a further 90m/295ft were added during the building - was undertaken in 1703 by the architect Pierre Mignard. In 1726 a fire destroyed those parts which had been completed. Restoration of the damaged parts and further building under Jean-Baptiste Franque came to a halt in 1736.
The Montmajour cloister is entered from the second transept and adjoins the church on the southwest. It was probably built at the same time as the church, though only the east wing shows the original Romanesque outline. The rounded arches are divided by double pillars in threes or fours; rich ornamentation can be seen on the corbels which support the ribbed vaults. The cloister, in the middle of which stands a well mounted on a pedestal, is overlooked by the battlemented defensive keep, 26m/85ft high, which was built in 1369 and boasts a superb view from its roof.
The first part of the Montmajour monastery to be visited is the huge Romanesque crypt, dating from the 12th century, which forms the load-bearing foundation of the church above, and which is partly built into the rock. The central space is surrounded by a vaulted corridor with apses in a semicircle, with which round-arched openings in the walls connect.
On either side of the D33 road, about 3km/2mi south of Fontvielle, the visitor will find the remains of two Roman aqueducts, which once provided water for Arles. The ruins have not been restored, but have been left uncovered and are easily accessible.
On the right of the road about 200m/220yds east of the monastery of Montmajour stands the little Chapelle Ste-Croix (Chapel of the Holy Cross), dating from the 12th C. It was once the cemetery chapel of the monastery as is indicated by the tombs which were hewn into the rock.
Address: Abbaye de Montmajour, Route de Fontvieille, F-13200 Arles, France
Hours:
April 1 to April 30: 10am-5pm
May 2 to August 31: 10am-6:30pm
September 1 to September 30: 10am-5pm
October 1 to March 31: 10am-5pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
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