Mozac Abbey
Encyclopedia
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 Mozac
Mozac
Mozac is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
near Riom
Riom
Riom is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the seat of the dukes of Auvergne. The city was of Gaulish origin, the Roman Ricomagus...
in Auvergne
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
, France.
History
A monastery was founded here in either 533 or 680 by Saint CalminiusSaint Calminius
Saint Calminius, also known as Saint Calmin, founded three French abbeys in the 6th or 7th centuries AD: Mozac Abbey, in Puy-de-Dôme; Laguenne Abbey and the abbey of Monastier-Saint-Chaffre. His Saint's day is August 19....
(Saint Calmin) and his wife, Saint Namadia. Calminius is said to have given the new monastery relics of Saint Peter, to whom the foundation was dedicated, and of Saint Caprasius of Agen
Caprasius of Agen
Saint Caprasius of Agen is venerated as a Christian martyr and saint of the fourth century. Relics associated with him were discovered at Agen in the fifth century...
, brought from Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
, of which there has long been no trace. From "King Pepin", either Pepin the Short in 764 or Pepin II of Aquitaine
Pepin II of Aquitaine
Pepin II, called the Younger , was King of Aquitaine from 838 as the successor upon the death of his father, Pepin I. Pepin II was eldest son of Pepin I and Ingeltrude, daughter of Theodobert, count of Madrie...
in 848, the monastery received the relics of Saint Austremonius, first bishop of Clermont and responsible for the evangelisation of the Auvergne; the abbey passed under royal protection. These have survived until today and are preserved in a painted wooden casket of the sixteenth century. The chasse
Chasse (casket)
A chasse or box reliquary is a shape commonly used in medieval metalwork for reliquaries and other containers. To the modern eye the form resembles a house, though a tomb or church was more the intention, with an oblong base, straight sides and two sloping top faces meeting at a central ridge,...
reliquary of Calminius, or Saint Calmin, is one of the outstanding masterpieces of Limoges enamel
Limoges enamel
Limoges enamel was produced at Limoges, France, already the most famous, but not the most high quality, European center of vitreous enamel production by the 12th century; its works were known as Opus de Limogia or Labor Limogiae...
.
In 1095 Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
launched the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
at the Council of Clermont
Council of Clermont
The Council of Clermont was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Catholic Church, which was held from November 18 to November 28, 1095 at Clermont, France...
and at the same time affiliated Mozac to the Cluniac Order; nevertheless, Mozac was able to retain some of its independence, as it remained an abbey rather than becoming a dependent priory, as were most of Cluny's affiliated houses.
The abbey was rebuilt in the early twelfth century. The buildings were severely damaged and largely destroyed in a series of earthquakes between 1477 and 1490, and among the few remains of the Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
that have survived are carved Romanesque capitals (illustration) that were particularly noted by Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
in the first assessment of medieval monuments in France: "What renders the church of Mozat [sic] particularly interesting are its capitals, which, for the merit of their execution, may be compared to the best of Brioude
Brioude
Brioude is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the River Allier, a tributary of the Loire.-History:...
". The rebuilding was carried out in the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, using the harder Volvic
Volvic
Volvic is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-History:The church at Volvic is dedicated to “St Priest” . Projectus was killed here in 676 AD.-References:* -External links:***...
stone instead of the limestone of the earlier constructions.
From 1516 Mozac was ruled by commendatory abbots
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
who were not in residence. In 1790 the abbey was dissolved in the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The abbey church survives as the parish church of Mozac.
Buildings and contents
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
with figurative carvings of high quality survive in some quantity, and the church still contains some elements of Romanesque architecture.
The relics of Saint Austremonius are still preserved here, as are those of the founder Saint Calminius, in a chasse reliquary shrine (illustrations of details) which is the largest extant reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
in mediaeval Limoges enamel
Limoges enamel
Limoges enamel was produced at Limoges, France, already the most famous, but not the most high quality, European center of vitreous enamel production by the 12th century; its works were known as Opus de Limogia or Labor Limogiae...
in the world.
Elected by the community
- About 681: Euterius
- 8th century: Lanfred I
- 8th century: Lanfred II
- End of the 9th century: Mansion
- 9th century: Robert
- About 950: Stephen I
- 11th century: Gerald
- About 1061: Peter I
- About 1095: Eustache I de Guignes
- About 1102: Hugues de Semur
- In 1131 and 1147: Eustache II de Montboissier
- In 1168 and 1181: Pierre III de Marsac
- In 1195 and 1197: Guillaume I de Bromont
- About 1205: Eustorge
- About 1212: Géronte de la Tour
- In 1217 and 1243: Aymeric de Mercœur
- About 1245: Pierre IV de Chazelas
- 1252 - 1267: Pierre V d'Ysserpans
- In 1267 and 1269: Aymon I de Vergy
- In 1277 and 1284: Pierre VI de la Ferté-Chauderon
- In 1284 and 1286: Aymon II Brun
- 1286 - 1294: Guillaume II de Saint-Saturnin
- 1294 - 1309: Pierre VII de Vallière
- 1318 - 1343: Guy de Grézolles
- 1343 - 1349: Jean I de Saint-Sernin
- In 1350 and 1352: Bernard de Tranchelyon
- In 1361 and 1377 : Étienne de Cottet
- In 1380 and 1406: Jean II de Laqueuille
- 1406 - 1419: Philibert d'Archimbaud
- 1420 - 1424: Philibert de l'Espinasse
- 1424 - 1458: Louis I de Banson
- 1459 - 1470: Raymond de Marcenat
- 1479 - 1509: Jean III de Marcenat
- 1510 - 1515: Louis II de Chassaigne
Commendatory abbots
- 1516 - 1524 : Claude Duprat
- 1524–1528 : Thomas Duprat
- 1529–1560 : Guillaume Duprat
- 1568–1570 : Sébastien de l'Aubespine
- 1571–1610 : Nicolas de Neuville de Villeroy
- 1613–1640 : Antoine Rigoulet
- 1641–1655 : Camille de Neuville de Villeroy
- 1655–1705 : François d'Albon
- 1705–1719 : Joseph-Michel Archon
- 1720–1736 : François Ferrand de Cossey (or d'Escossay)
- 1739–1764 : Louis-Charles Baudouin
- 1764–1789 : Jean Fau de Raze