Lyre Abbey facts for kids
Lyre Abbey (17th century)
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | The Abbey of Our Lady of Lyre |
| Other names | Abbaye Notre-Dame de Lyre |
| Order | by mid-12th century Benedictine |
| Established | 1046 |
| Disestablished | 1790 |
| Dedicated to | Virgin Mary |
| Diocese | Rouen |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | William FitzOsbern, Lord of Breteuil, Earl of Hereford. |
| Important associated figures | Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester, Thomas Becket, Cardinals Jean Le Veneur, Hippolyte d'Este, Louis d’Este, Louis of Lorraine (1586-1588), Louis of Lorraine (1593-1598), Jacques Davy Duperron, Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan Maurists. |
| Site | |
| Location | La Vieille-Lyre, Eure, France |
| Coordinates | 48°55′06″N 0°45′00″E / 48.9183°N 0.75°E |
| Visible remains | part of abbot’s residence |
Lyre Abbey (also known as L'abbaye Notre-Dame de Lyre in French) was an important monastery located in Normandy, a region in France. It was started way back in 1046 in a village now called La Vieille-Lyre. By the middle of the 1100s, it became a home for Benedictine monks. Sadly, during the French Revolution in the late 1700s, the abbey was closed down, and most of its buildings were torn apart.
Contents
History of Lyre Abbey
How Lyre Abbey Started
Many monasteries were built in Normandy during the 1000s. Lyre Abbey was one of them, founded in 1046. It was built around the same time as other famous monasteries like Bec Abbey and the two big ones in Caen.
The abbey was founded by William FitzOsbern (who lived from about 1020 to 1071) and his wife, Adeliza de Tosny. William FitzOsbern was a close friend and relative of William the Conqueror. He was one of the few people known to have fought alongside William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
After the Normans took over England, William FitzOsbern became a very powerful lord. He received a lot of land in England. He was very generous and gave much of this land to Lyre Abbey. Because of his gifts, Lyre Abbey became one of the Norman abbeys with the most land in England, as recorded in the Domesday Book.
Growth and Challenges
Throughout the 1100s, Lyre Abbey continued to receive land and money from donations in both England and Normandy. A major supporter during this time was Robert de Beaumont, a powerful earl who was close to Kings Henry I and Stephen.
During this period, the abbey's scriptorium (a room where monks copied and decorated books) was very busy. This showed how important and respected the abbey was. The monks created beautiful handwritten books with amazing artwork. Many of these books are still kept in libraries across Europe today.
In the mid-1100s, the monks started rebuilding their abbey church. However, in 1188, a fire destroyed it. They began rebuilding again in 1199, and this new church stood until the French Revolution.
By 1269, a visit by Eudes Rigaud, the Archbishop of Rouen, showed that 37 monks lived at the monastery. Another 15 monks lived in England or Wales at smaller places connected to Lyre Abbey.
Times of Trouble and Change
From the 1100s onwards, the Benedictine order faced some challenges. New groups of monks, like the Cistercian Order and the Franciscans and Dominicans, became popular. Wealthy people started giving their donations to these newer orders. This meant Lyre Abbey, like many older monasteries, received fewer gifts.
The Hundred Years' War made things even worse for the abbey. It was attacked and robbed twice by the forces of King Charles II of Navarre in 1359 and again in 1365. In 1419, Normandy came under English rule.
In 1430, a new abbot named Guillaume le Bas was appointed. He was a monk from another abbey. However, the monks at Lyre Abbey did not want him because they thought he was too friendly with the English. In 1440, English soldiers had to escort him to the abbey so he could take his place.
When French forces took back the area in 1449, Guillaume le Bas accepted the new French rule. But his own monks still opposed him. He finally left the abbey in 1463.
A new problem arose for Lyre Abbey with the arrival of "commendatory abbots." These were high-ranking outsiders, sometimes even non-monks, who were appointed to lead monasteries as a reward from the king. They often did not live at the monastery. Instead, they took a large part of the abbey's money for themselves. This meant there wasn't enough money to repair the buildings, and many fell into ruin.
In 1646, an important change happened. The commendatory abbot at the time, Jacques Le Noël du Perron, brought the Maurist reform to the abbey. This reform meant more monks joined the community, and they adopted a stricter way of life. They also focused a lot on scholarly activities and learning.
From the late 1600s, the Maurists rebuilt almost all the abbey's buildings. However, even with this new energy, they struggled to attract new monks. By 1698, there were only 7 monks left. The appointment of commendatory abbots continued, with two powerful bishops from the House of Rohan leading the abbey in the 1700s.
The End of Lyre Abbey
Lyre Abbey came to an end during the French Revolution in two main steps.
First, on February 13, 1790, the National Assembly decided to close all religious orders. This caused a crisis for the ten monks at Lyre. Their relationship with the local villagers was already difficult. Revolutionary ideas made things worse, as monks were seen as part of the wealthy landowners.
By the evening of May 16, some of the abbey's valuable items had already been stolen. Some locals even accused the monks themselves. The monks became prisoners in their own home for months. When they were finally allowed to leave, the abbey, as a community of monks, ended its 750-year existence.
In the second step, the abbey buildings, like all church properties in France, were declared state property. They were first rented out starting in September 1790, and then sold off in pieces. The abbey church was made the local parish church. However, it was in such bad condition that the villagers went back to their old church.
In November 1797, part of the abbey church collapsed. In early 1798, the decision was made to sell off the rest of the buildings. There was a huge demolition. Stones and even old funeral monuments were taken away, and trees were cut down. By 1804, an official report noted that almost nothing was left of the abbey, except for a small part of the abbot's house.
Important People Connected to Lyre Abbey
Throughout its history, many important people were connected to Lyre Abbey, including various abbots who led the monastery.
Burials
- William of Breteuil
See also
- List of Benedictine monasteries in France
Reading
- Charles Guéry, Histoire de l’abbaye de Lyre, Imprimerie de l’Eure, Évreux, 1917. gallica.bnf.fr
- Laurent Ridel, Nigel Wilkins, Notre-Dame de Lyre : Histoire d'une abbaye disparue, Mont-Saint-Aignan, Presses universitaires de Rouen et du Havre, 2019, (ISBN 979-10-240-0452-5).
