Escaladieu Abbey
Encyclopedia
Escaladieu Abbey was a Cistercian abbey
located in the French
commune
of Bonnemazon
in the Hautes-Pyrénées
. Its name derives from the Latin
Scala Dei ("ladder of God"). The abbey was founded in 1142 and became an important pilgrimage
stop on the Way of St. James
en route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
. The abbey is situated at the confluence of the Luz
and the Arros
rivers near the Château de Mauvezin
.
In the middle of the 12th century, a group of monks under the protection of the count of Bigorre
who lived at Cabadur in the Gripp valley in the modern-day Canton of Campan in Bagnères-de-Bigorre
, wanted to move to a more hospitable location and therefore establish the abbey at Bonnemazon. The abbey became the epicenter of the expansion of southern French Cistercian expansion and founded eight abbeys in Spain
(including ones in Fitero
, Sacraménia
, and Véruéla
) and two in Gascony
(Flaran Abbey
and Bouillas Abbey).
The abbey was continuously inhabited by Cistercian monks until 1830 when it sold to a local family. In 1986, the abbey was purchased by the Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées which undertook its restoration.
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
located in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Bonnemazon
Bonnemazon
Bonnemazon is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
in the Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
. Its name derives from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Scala Dei ("ladder of God"). The abbey was founded in 1142 and became an important pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
stop on the Way of St. James
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
en route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
. The abbey is situated at the confluence of the Luz
Luz
Luz is the name of two places in the Bible.Luz is the ancient name of a royal Canaanite city, connected with Bethel . It is debated among scholars whether Luz and Bethel represent one and the same town - the former the Canaanite name, and the latter the Hebrew name - or whether they were distinct...
and the Arros
Arros
-River:* The Arros River, one of the main tributaries of the Adour, in the Southwest of France-Communes:* Arros-de-Nay, a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department* Asasp-Arros, a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department...
rivers near the Château de Mauvezin
Château de Mauvezin
The Château de Mauvezin is a castle in the commune of Mauvezin in the Hautes-Pyrénées département of France.The site, occupied since protohistory, was transformed into a castrum in the Middle Ages and later into a castle. The castle was built by Gaston Fébus around 1380...
.
In the middle of the 12th century, a group of monks under the protection of the count of Bigorre
Bigorre
Bigorre is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region known as Gascony...
who lived at Cabadur in the Gripp valley in the modern-day Canton of Campan in Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Arrondissement of Bagnères-de-Bigorre
The arrondissement of Bagnères-de-Bigorre is an arrondissement of France, located in the Hautes-Pyrénées département, in the Midi-Pyrénées région...
, wanted to move to a more hospitable location and therefore establish the abbey at Bonnemazon. The abbey became the epicenter of the expansion of southern French Cistercian expansion and founded eight abbeys in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(including ones in Fitero
Monastery of Fitero
The Monastery of Fitero is a Cistercian monastery located at Fitero, Navarre, Spain, on the banks of the Alhama River.It was founded, on a different site, in 1141 as part of the Cistercian expansion into Spain from the "epicenter" at Escaladieu Abbey, and moved to Fitero in 1152. Durand was...
, Sacraménia
St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church
St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church is a medieval Spanish monastery cloister which was built in the town of Sacramenia in Segovia, Spain, in the 12th century but dismantled in the 20th century and shipped to New York in the United States. It was eventually reassembled in North Miami Beach, Florida,...
, and Véruéla
Royal Monastery of Santa María de Veruela
Veruela Abbey is a Cistercian abbey dating from the 12th century. It is situated near Vera de Moncayo, in Zaragoza province, Spain. It was founded in 1146 by Pedro de Atarés.-History:...
) and two in Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
(Flaran Abbey
Flaran Abbey
Flaran Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey located in Valence-sur-Baïse, in the département of Gers, France. The abbey was founded in 1151, as a daughter house of Escaladieu Abbey, at the confluence of the Auloue and Baïse rivers, between the towns of Condom and Auch...
and Bouillas Abbey).
The abbey was continuously inhabited by Cistercian monks until 1830 when it sold to a local family. In 1986, the abbey was purchased by the Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées which undertook its restoration.