Saint-Savin, Hautes-Pyrénées
Encyclopedia
Saint-Savin is a commune
in the Hautes-Pyrénées
department, in south-western France
.
The village shown in the images is within Hautes-Pyrénées
. The community was founded in the fourth century as a Benedictine abbey under the protection of St. Martin
.
The inhabitants (gentilés) of Saint-Savin are called “Saint-Savinois”.
One of the best places to view Saint-Savin is from the sixteenth-century chapel, Notre Dame de Piétat.
. In the ancient past, Hercules
visited the area, and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Pyrene
, who happened to be a daughter of the King of Cerdagne
. The king refused to allow Pyrene to marry Hercules, and so the desperate girl ran away. Hercules searched for her, but found her too late: she had been killed by wild cats. Hercules buried the body, and covered her grave with stones, which subsequently became the mountains.
Roland
, a warrior who was part of the court of Charlemagne
, also has an important legendary connection to the area. In exchange for room and board at the Saint-Savin convent
, Roland is said to have fought and killed two giants, Passamont and Alabaster, who, much to the monks' dismay, were living close to their priory.
financed and helped arrange a major part of the construction and decoration of the monastery
, and the abbey enjoyed prosperity for quite some time. In the thirteenth century, it controlled the territory of seven municipalities
.
Then, after several religious wars
, the abbey was virtually abandoned. Only three monks lived there in 1790.. In 1854 a violent earthquake
ruined the abbey even more, but also caused something of a new beginning..
into a wealthy family: his father was a count in Barcelona
. At some point Savin moved to France
, and became a monk
. He was sent to Saint-Savin, but decided to live a simple and isolated life in the mountains above the village. During the 13 years he spent there he performed several miracles: he was able to find water where there was none, he created milk in order to feed a hungry child, and so on. When he died, his body was carried to Saint-Savin. Now his marble tomb serves as the altar
in the Saint-Savin church.
There are quite a few examples of Romanesque art
in the church, one of which is a granite carving of two Cagots. The church also contains an interesting example of a special separate Holy water font
for them to dip their right hand into. Use of the normal font was forbidden to Cagots. Cagots were allowed to attend the Mass
, but only through a low window at the bottom of the nave
. People were afraid to get close to them, and so they were given communion using a long stick that is still to be seen in the church.
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...
in the Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
department, in south-western France
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...
.
The village shown in the images is within Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
. The community was founded in the fourth century as a Benedictine abbey under the protection of St. Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
.
The inhabitants (gentilés) of Saint-Savin are called “Saint-Savinois”.
One of the best places to view Saint-Savin is from the sixteenth-century chapel, Notre Dame de Piétat.
Legends
One legend concerns the name PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. In the ancient past, Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
visited the area, and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Pyrene
Pyrene (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Pyrene may refer to:* Pyrene, daughter of King Bebrycius and a lover of Hercules. She bore a serpent and became so terrified that she fled to the woods where she died. Hercules created a tomb for her by piling up rocks thus forming the mountain range of the Pyrenees, named...
, who happened to be a daughter of the King of Cerdagne
French Cerdagne
French Cerdagne is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern half remained in Spain . Catalonians often refer to French Cerdagne as Upper Cerdanya...
. The king refused to allow Pyrene to marry Hercules, and so the desperate girl ran away. Hercules searched for her, but found her too late: she had been killed by wild cats. Hercules buried the body, and covered her grave with stones, which subsequently became the mountains.
Roland
Roland
Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
, a warrior who was part of the court of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, also has an important legendary connection to the area. In exchange for room and board at the Saint-Savin convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
, Roland is said to have fought and killed two giants, Passamont and Alabaster, who, much to the monks' dismay, were living close to their priory.
The Roman abbey of Saint-Savin
The known history of this abbey dates back to 945. The counts and viscounts of BigorreBigorre
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...
financed and helped arrange a major part of the construction and decoration of the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, and the abbey enjoyed prosperity for quite some time. In the thirteenth century, it controlled the territory of seven municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
.
Then, after several religious wars
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, the abbey was virtually abandoned. Only three monks lived there in 1790.. In 1854 a violent earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
ruined the abbey even more, but also caused something of a new beginning..
Savin, the pious hermit monk
Savin was born in SpainSpain
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...
into a wealthy family: his father was a count in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. At some point Savin moved to France
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...
, and became a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. He was sent to Saint-Savin, but decided to live a simple and isolated life in the mountains above the village. During the 13 years he spent there he performed several miracles: he was able to find water where there was none, he created milk in order to feed a hungry child, and so on. When he died, his body was carried to Saint-Savin. Now his marble tomb serves as the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
in the Saint-Savin church.
Cagots
As was the case in a few other villages and towns in Hautes-Pyrénées, the town of Saint-Savin included a small community of Cagots, a minority group that was despised for obscure reasons. They were treated as if they were lepers and dangerously infectious, though investigations even by 17th century doctors found no evidence of this.There are quite a few examples of Romanesque art
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
in the church, one of which is a granite carving of two Cagots. The church also contains an interesting example of a special separate Holy water font
Holy water font
A holy water font or stoup is a vessel containing holy water generally placed near the entrance of a church. It is used in Catholic Church and Lutheran churches, as well as some Anglican churches to make the Sign of the Cross using the holy water upon entrance and exit...
for them to dip their right hand into. Use of the normal font was forbidden to Cagots. Cagots were allowed to attend the Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, but only through a low window at the bottom of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. People were afraid to get close to them, and so they were given communion using a long stick that is still to be seen in the church.