Abbey of Saint-Gilles facts for kids
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The Abbey of Saint-Gilles is a very old monastery located in Saint-Gilles, a town in southern France. It was started by a person named Saint Giles. This special place is so important that it's on the UNESCO Heritage List. It's part of a group of sites along the famous pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela in France.
Contents
History of the Abbey
How the Abbey Started
Legend says that Saint Giles founded the abbey in the 7th century. A king named Wamba from the Visigoth people gave him the land. This happened after Saint Giles was accidentally hurt by the king during a hunt.
The monastery was first dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. But by the 9th century, it was dedicated to Saint Giles himself. He had become a very respected figure in the area. His holy items, called relics, were kept in the abbey church. Many pilgrims, or religious travelers, came to visit them.
Growth and Challenges
In the 11th century, the Abbey of Saint-Gilles became connected to Cluny Abbey. This made it grow and become very successful. From the 12th to the 15th century, the abbey was made larger and more beautiful. The cloister, which is a covered walkway, was finished during this time.
Sadly, in the 16th century, the church was badly damaged. This happened during the Wars of Religion when a group called the Huguenots used it for shelter. The abbey was repaired in the 17th century. It was damaged again during the French Revolution but was fixed in the 19th century.
In 1865, the tomb of Saint Giles was found again. From 1965 onwards, it once more became a popular place for pilgrims to visit.
Exploring the Abbey Church
Romanesque Style and Facade
The abbey church is built in a style called Romanesque. This style is common in southern France. The front of the church, called the façade, was built between 1120 and 1160. It has a beautifully decorated entrance with three main doorways. The middle doorway is the largest.
These doorways have Corinthian columns and amazing medieval sculptures. On the lower part, you can see carvings of animals and scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible. In the middle section, there are statues of people and scenes from the New Testament. The carvings above the doorways also show New Testament stories. These include the "Adoration of the Magi" (when the wise men visited baby Jesus), the "Crucifixion of Jesus," and a "Maestà" (a painting of Mary and Jesus).
The carvings on the front of the church were inspired by ancient Roman art. The very top part of the façade also had classical decorations, but these are now gone. The tall bell tower you see today was built in the 18th century.
The Crypt and Upper Church
The crypt, also known as the lower church, was built in the early 11th century. It is very large, measuring about 50 meters long and 25 meters wide. It takes up the entire underground area beneath the main part of the church.
In the center of the crypt is the tomb of Saint Giles. This was a very important place for worship in the Middle Ages. However, in the 16th century, Saint Giles' relics were moved to the Basilica of Saint Sernin in Toulouse.
The upper church has a main hall called a nave and two rounded ends called apses. Most of this part was rebuilt in the 17th century. However, some large pillars in the Corinthian style are still from earlier times.
Ancient Choir and Spiral Staircase
Behind the rounded end of the church, you can see the remains of the old choir area. This part shows that the church was originally much longer. It used to be about 98 meters long, but now it's about 50 meters.
Inside the northern wall of this old choir, there is a special spiral staircase. It's known as the "Screw of St. Gilles." This staircase was built in the 12th century. It's amazing because its stone steps seem to float without support, sticking out from the wall.
Abbey Replicas
A copy of the abbey's façade, made from plaster, can be seen in the Hall of Architecture. This hall is located at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Abadía de Saint-Gilles para niños
