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l'Origine

Fondée à Fleury vers 630 par des moines venus d'Orléans, sur l'emplacement d'un haut lieu druidique, l'abbaye vécut d'abord sous la règle de SAINT COLOMBAN, un moine Irlandais, puis adopta très vite la règle des moines écrite par SAINT BENOIT, Italien qui vécut de 480 à 547, le futur "Patriarche des moines d'occident". Peu de temps après avoir adopté la règle de SAINT BENOIT les moines de Fleury entreprirent d'aller chercher les restes de son auteur abandonnés dans son tombeau par les moines du Mont Cassin chassés par les invasions lombardes et réfugiés à Rome. Cette présence des reliques, accompagnée de miracles, fut à l'origine de pèlerinages, donna à l'abbaye de Fleury toute sa notoriété et fit adopter plus tard au village le nom de Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire. Cette "translatio Sancti Benedicti" eut lieu à la fin de l'an 672 et est célébrée chaque année dans la liturgie monastique le 11 juillet. Le linteau du portail Nord récemment restauré en est une magnifique illustration iconographique du XIIe siècle.

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l'Histoire

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Pendant la guerre de Cent ans, JEANNE D'ARC, après sa victoire sur les Anglais à Orléans, est venue, accompagnée du roi Charles VII prier devant N.D. de Fleury avant de partir sur Reims pour le couronnement du roi. Les guerres de religion endommagèrent le monument et son ornementation par endroits. A la Révolution les moines sont dispersés, le monastère détruit, les reliques mises à l'abri. L'église est protégée par les habitants et devient église paroissiale à la place de l'église St-Sébastien démolie au milieu du cimetière. De la Révolution à la fin de la 2ème guerre mondiale la paroisse est desservie par le clergé séculier ou des moines de la Pierre-Qui-Vire.

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L'époque contemporaine

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Le retour des moines a lieu le 11 octobre 1944. Le monastère de la Pierre-Qui-Vire près de Vezelay, envoie 10 moines pour faire renaître la vie monastique à Fleury et entreprendre à côté de l'église abbatiale du XIIe siècle la construction d'un monastère moderne à la place des bâtiments conventuels détruits. Actuellement la communauté compte une quarantaine de membres qui constituent, en quelque sorte, la garde d'honneur de Saint-Benoit. Depuis la reprise de la vie monastique à Fleury, 20 moines sont déjà enterrés dans le cimetière de la communauté autour de l'abside. Au Moyen-Age les moines étaient cultivateurs. Aujourd'hui ils sont surtout artisans. Des ateliers de production de confiserie, d'émaux, de décoration de porcelaine, etc... permettent à la communauté de gagner sa vie. Sa production est vendue à la Librairie bénédictine proche de la basilique. On peut aussi commander par courrier en écrivant au Père Econome. La communauté reçoit des retraitants dans son hôtellerie (écrire à l'avance au Père Hôtelier) et elle accueille aussi les nombreux pèlerins et visiteurs de la basilique (écrire au moins 3 semaines à l'avance au frère chargé des Pèlerins et Visiteurs pour avoir une visite guidée par un moine). La paroisse est tenue par un moine-prêtre de la communauté.

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La basilique

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Max Jacob

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Connu comme "le poète pénitent de St-Benoit-sur-Loire", juif, né à Quimper (Bretagne) en 1876, homme de lettres célèbre, peintre, fut ami de Pablo Picasso, Roger Toulouse, Jean Cocteau, Paul Claudel, etc... qui viendront souvent lui rendre visite à St-Benoit où il élira domicile à partir de 1921 après sa conversion au christianisme en 1909 et son baptème dans l'église catholique romaine en 1915. Arrêté par la Gestapo le 24 février 1944 il mourra au camp de Drancy près de Paris le 5 mars suivant. Le 5 mars 1949 son corps fut enterré au cimetière communal de St-Benoit-sur-Loire. Les nombreux amis de Max Jacob, réunis dans une association, se rassemblent chaque année à St-Benoit-sur-Loire pour célébrer l'anniversaire de sa mort.

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Horaires des Offices

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Messe du dimanche à 11h00 chantée en grégorien  (Toute l'année)

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Renseignements

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Abbaye de Fleury   45730 St-BENOIT-SUR-LOIRE

Fax : 02 38 35 77 71

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Visitez le site réalisé par les moines de l'abbaye  

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Nous écrire

A solid architecture, bedside to the necklace of absidioles, by the hundreds...
The Abbaye de Fleury is a jewel of the romanesque art. The simplicity of the romanesque chancel and the gothic nave bewitch.
The architecture of the powerful columns & arches support the weight of the edifice. It is here that the silence is the most intense.
For twelve centuries gregorian chants have resounded here… The abbey is an inspired place

Founded at Fleury (circa 630) by monks from Orléans on the grounds of a druid worshipping place, the abbey first existed under the rules of the Irish monk Saint Colomban.
However, it quickly adopted the rule of the Italian Saint Benoit (480-547) who was the future Patriach of the monks from the occident.
Shortly after adopting the rules of Saint Benoit, the monks of Fleury went to get his remains. Saint Benoit's remains had been abandonned in his tomb by the monks of Cassin who had taken refuge in Rome after the Lombard invasion.

It was the presence of the relics accompanied by miracles witnessed at the beginning of the pilgrimages, which gave notoriety to the Abbey of Fleury and eventually the name of Saint Benoît sur Loire to the village.
The lintel of the recently restored north portal is a magnificent iconographic illustration of the 12th century.
This Translatio Sancti Benedecti took place at the end of the year 672 and is celebrated every year on July 11th in the monastery liturgy.

Inhabited continously by monks from its establishment up to the revolution, the community had variations in its numbers as well as in the quality of monastic life.

During the carolingian epic, Theodulphe, Abbot of Fleury and Bishop of Orléans, was also adviser to the Emperor.
It is the beginning of a golden age for the monestry which lasts until the 11th century, particularly under the Abbatiat of St Abbon (end of the 10th
century).

The scriptorium had an important activity: the transcription and the illumination of manuscripts.
The Abbey knew a period of glory as far as England with which the relations were very close through the monastic reforms brought to the island by Fleury.
Faithful to its favoured relationship with England, today's monastic community is spiritually joined with the chapter of the Anglican Cathedral in Winchester.

This golden age of 1000 years is expressed in the architecture of the tour-porche which was erected at the very beginning of the 11th century under the Abbey Gauzin, Archbishop of Bourges.

During the 100 year war, Joan of Arc, after her victory in Orléans over the English, came to pray in fornt of Notre Dame de Fleury. She came accompanied by King Charles the VII, before departing for Reims for the kings coronation.

During the revolution the monks dispersed, the monastery was destroyed and the relics were hidden away for protection. The church was protected by the towns people and became the parish church, replacing the church of Saint Sébastian which stood in the cemetery before being demolished. From the revolution to the end of the 2nd world war, the Parish was run by the secular clergy or the monks from Pierre-qui-vire.

The monks returned on october 11,1944. The monastery of the Pierre-qui-vire, near Vezelay, sent 10 monks to revive the monastic life at Fleury and to undertake the construction of a modern monastery in place of the buildings which had been destroyed.

The new construction took place next to the 12th century Abbey church.
Currently, the community has 40 members which constitute, so to speak, the honor guard of Saint Benoît.

Since the revival of the monastic life at Fleury, 20 monks have been buried in the monastry cimetary around the apse.

During the middle ages the monks were farmers. Today they are mostly artisans. Their workshops produce confectionery, enamel work, porcelain decorating…

This permits the monastry to earn a living. These items are sold at the Benedictine book store near the Basilica. They can also be mail-ordered by contacting le Père econome.

The community also accomodates retreats in its lodging house (write in advance to the Père Hôtelier), as well as welcoming a great number of pilgrims and visitors to the Basilica.
For a guided tour write atleast three weeks in advance to the brother in charge of pilgrims and visitors.
The parish is run by one of the monk-priest of the community.

Constructed in the 11th & 12th centuries, the building has 3 jewels: - The porch-tower, form the beginning of the 11th century evokes the apocalypse both by its structure and its capitals.
the romanesque chancel from the 11th century with its famous mosaïc 'a opus sectile' of italian origin, exceptional in France.
and the 11th century crypt which contains the remains of St Benoit-de-nursie, who was made 'Patron of europ' in 1964 by the Pope Paul VI.

The north portal (from the end of the 12th century) was magnificently restored in 1996. The restoration led to the discovery within the Basilic of a very interesting beginning of a roman sculpture from the middle of the 12th century on the other side of the lintel.

Know as the penitent poet of St Benoit sur Loire, of jewish origin, born in Quimper (Brittany) in 1876, famous man of letters, painter, friend of Pablo Picasso, Roger Toulouse, Jean Cocteau, Paul Claudel, etc.. all of whom would often visit him in Saint Benoit.
He had elected to make the town his home in 1921 after his conversion to christianity in 1909 and his baptism into the catholic church in 1915.
Arrested by the gestapo on February 24, 1944, he died in the camp of Drancy (near Paris) the following March 5. On March 5, 1949 his body was buried in the communal cemetery at Saint Benoit sur Loire.

The numerous friends of Max Jacob, united in an association, meet each year in Saint Benoit sur Loire for the anniversary of his death.

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Conception Coeur de France - Texte Abbaye de Fleury