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The Abbey of Sauve Majeure |
Patrimoine de la Gironde |
Micro-region : ENTRE-DEUX-MERS | Ville : LA SAUVE |  |
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L'abbaye de La Sauve majeure
The Abbey of Sauve Majeure33670 La SauvePhone : +335 56 23 01 55 |
The majestic ruins of the abbey of Sauve Majeure stands atop a hill in the heart of the great forest called Silva Major that covers the Entre-deux-Mers region.
This oratory was built by an hermit monk in a Roman Art style. It was once abandonned, and was restored by priest Gérard de Corbie, in 1079, to make it a benedictine abbey. After a proper debut, it attracted all kind of thiefs, leading to the abbey's tragic demise : wars, storms, earthquake... An illustrated path makes it easier to discover the grandiose ruins, ornated with sculptures witnessing the craftsmanship of the roman builders and sculptors in the beginning of XIIth century. The open air tour allows visitors to appreciate the vestiges of the church, the cloister, the chapter house and the rectory. The climbing of the tower (157 steps) offers a magnificient panoramic view. |
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The pillars are some of the most incredible of Aquitaine, the medals, called "modillon" are a true "stone bible". All these sculpture pieces depict the scenes from characters of the religious scriptures. They are ornated with a mystical fauna (representing virtues, vices, passions...), symbolic animals (representing the perpetual combat between good and evil), and decorative vegetation (acanthus, pine cones, fern...) that will not leave the history and art amateur with a sense of indifference. |
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With the Saint Pierre church close by, where the relics of Saint Gerard remain, the Abbey Sauve Majeure was a stop for thousands of pilgrims on their way to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. It is under this title that it has been classified since december 1998 on the Unesco Heritage list. |
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 Photos : Roselyne SAVALLE, Daniel CLERC - Mai 2007 |
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Visit :
- June 1st to sept 30th : everyday from 10am to 6pm - October 1st to may 31st : tuesday to sunday from 10.30am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm. Close january 1st, may 1st, december 25th. Entrance fees : €7.00 for adults - €4.5 for 18 to 25 years old. Free under 18 and first sunday of the month from october to may |
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| Liens: Patrimoine de la Gironde Tourisme Entre-deux-Mers |
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Tourisme en Gironde - Site : www.caruso33.net | ||