 Souvigny | ||
| Souvigny | ||
| Department | Allier | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1.788 (2018) | |
| height | 290.5 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Souvigny is a small town and location of a former Benedictine abbey in the department Allier in the Auvergne.
background
The Bourbone Aymard I left the monastery Cluny in 916 part of his lands in Souvigny as a donation. A little later the first monks settled here and from 950 a monastery was built according to Benedictine rules. The construction of the church began in the 10th century and the monastery soon became a place of pilgrimage after two canonized abbots of Cluny were buried here. After the deaths of Majolus (St. Mayeul, 4th Grand Abbot of Cluny, 994) and Odilon (St. Odilon, 1049), a mausoleum was built for the two saints, the church was elevated to a priory church in 1008 and in Souvigny one of the "daughters of Cluny ".
For some time Souvigny was the ancestral seat of the Bourbon family, the remains of several Bourbons were laid to rest in the church, and in 1448 it was expanded to include the Chapelle Neuve as a further burial site.
With the French Revolution, 850 years of Benedictine monastic life came to an end, the monastery was expropriated and the priory church took over the role of the town's parish church.
In 1994 the first Medieval Games and a first Medieval market carried out with jugglers and troubadours, which have been carried out at the beginning of August for 20 years and attract numerous visitors to Souvigny.
getting there
By plane
Most visitors arriving by air will be through the airport from Paris-Orly arrive, which can be reached in just under 3 hours; The regional airport Aéroport de Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne is used by domestic French connections and some international flights, e.g. by Ryanair.
By train / bus
The Intercités line Clermont-Ferrand - Vichy - Moulins - Paris-Bercy runs east along the Allier, the connection to Moulins train station is provided by the bus service from Trans'Allier (Line A.) ensured.
In the street
The highway A71Paris - Orleans - Bourges - Montluçon - Clermont-Ferrand leads past the city in a north-south direction in the west, over the D945 is the town with the motorway (
Montmarault), which leads to the east D945 on to Moulins and to N7 (Nationale 7), which runs along the right bank of the Allier as a north-south connection and branches off in the direction of Paris Nevers as a motorway A77 continues.
When traveling from Switzerland and southern Germany, it is best to use the A36 above Basel and Mulhouse, drives on the A6 to Chalon-sur-Saône and use the N80 / N70 to Digoin and further the N79 to reach Souvigny on one of the side streets.
mobility
Locally one moves on foot, to the Loire castles in the area one has to resort to the private vehicle or bicycle.
Tourist Attractions
Saint-Pierre & Saint-Paul Abbey Church
- the 1 Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul abbey church, the construction of which began after 950. The church with a Romanesque nave 1 was in the 12th century. with aisles 2 expanded to a five-aisled building (similar to the one in Cluny).
- The graves 3 des Saint-Mayeul and Saint-Odilon in the central nave with their "Gisants" (grave slabs with reclining representation of the deceased) stood from 13. -18. Century in the central nave and were the destination of many pilgrims. In 1773 the mausoleum was destroyed during the French Revolution, the 2,100 fragments of the tombstones of the two saints were reconstructed in 2001/2 and placed back on the Merovingian sarcophagus.
- The reredos (standing altar wall) with the depiction of the immaculate conception from 1524 was also damaged during the revolution.
- The reliquary 4 des Saint-Mayeul and Saint-Odilo from 1444 hid the reliquary busts of the two saints depicted on the painted panels until the Revolution, and on special occasions the doors of the shrine were opened and pilgrims could pray in front of the busts.
- The "Chapelle vieille", the "old chapel", which Louis II of Bourbon had built for his tomb. In the chapel you can see the "Gisants", the stone tombstones of Herzon Louis II of Bourbon (1410) and his wife Anne Dauphine d'Auvergne, on the wall a depiction of a burial scene by a Flemish master.
- in the old choir room6 the Benedictine monks had gathered over the centuries and spent about six hours a day singing psalms.
- The main altar is in the new choir 7 made of multicolored marble from the 17th century, the deambulatorium (or "choir ambulatory") from the 12th century. was in the 15th century. rebuilt.
- The "Chapelle neuve"8, the "new chapel" or "ducal chapel" was built as a burial chapel for Charles I of Bourbon (1456) to be buried there with his wife, the gisants (grave slabs) are made of white marble. Pierre de Beaujeu and his wife Anne, daughter of Louis XI, who died in 1523, and Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma (1934) are also buried in the burial chapel.
- The coin hunter capitals 9 remember that Souvigny Abbey granted the right to mint.
- On the left is the tomb of Saint-Mayeul 10 from the 12th century
- The stained glass windows of the church date from the 15th century. and depict the Virgin Mary, the Archangel Michael and, to the left, Paul and the Apostles. The organ in the gallery was made by François-Henry Cliquot in 1785.
- The buildings of the former priory close to the right of the entrance portal 12 and the cloister 13 on, the sacristy is to the east.
Further Tourist Attractions:
- the 2 Saint-Marc church: the Romanesque church from the 12th century. served as a parish church, after the French Revolution and the associated expropriation of the abbey, the abbey church was made a parish church and the old parish church continued to be used as a barn. Today concerts and exhibitions are held there.
- in the 3 Rue du Château there are only a few remains of the Bourbon castle, a gate building, kitchens, private rooms. The use of the less representative building was in the 15th century. abandoned and no longer maintain the castle.
- the main street "Rue du Docteur Jules Cordier", which leads to the "Place Aristide Briant" in front of the church portal, provides a worthy backdrop for the annual medieval market with its historic facades.
belong to the entire complex of the priory
- the entrance building 4 "La Porterie" (1670), which leads to the monastery garden and the residential buildings
- the buildings of the priory to the right of the entrance to the church, a large gate leads into an inner courtyard with the service and residential buildings of the monastery residents.
- in the monastery barns is the exhibition of the Musee de Souvigny housed. The museum, which opened in 1995, shows, among other things, the Romanesque Colonne du Zodiaque: on the octagonal column signs of the zodiac and mythical creatures are shown in relief as a representation of the diversity of the universe. In the treasure of Souvigny there are coins from the minting in the abbey, the depiction of the minters can be found on the capitals in the abbey church. The illustrated "Bible of Souvigny" was confiscated as part of the French Revolution and the expropriation of the abbey and, after the city of Souvigny refused to sell it to the French national library, is in the depot of the library of Moulins and is rarely exhibited. Special exhibitions on current topics change annually.
- 5 Musee de Souvigny. Tel.: 33 (0)4 70 43 99 75, Fax: 33 (0)4 70 43 66 18, Email: [email protected]. Open: March 1st - mid-November, mostly mornings and afternoons, details on the website.Price: € 4, € 7 with a guided tour of the church.
- 6 "La Maison des Voûtes" served as a pilgrims' hostel in the 14th / 15th century, a Benedictine convent was housed here from 1652 to 1792.
activities
- A visit to Souvigny is particularly worthwhile Medieval market with stalls and jugglers, it has been held at the beginning of August since 1994.
- Visit the various Romanesque churches and the numerous castles in the region.
shop
- In the pâtisserie on the main street "Rue de la République" there are local sweet specialties.
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
security
health
The next hospital with an emergency unit is located in Moulins, there is a general practitioner practice and a physiotherapist on site.
Practical advice
Information in the museum shop.
trips
literature
Web links
- http://www.ville-souvigny.com/ - Souvigny official website
- Souvigny on the Moulins Tourist Office website
