Lérins Abbey () is a

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

on the island of Saint-Honorat, one of the Lérins Islands, on the

French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...

, with an active monastic community. There has been a monastic community there since the 5th century. The construction of the current monastery buildings began around 1073. Today the monks cultivate

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

and produce

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

and

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyon ...

History

First foundation

The island, known to the Romans as ''Lerina'', was uninhabited until Saint Honoratus, a disciple of a local hermit named

Caprasius of Lérins Saint Caprasius, sometimes Caprasius of Lérins ( fr , Caprais; died 430), was a hermit who lived in Lérins, Provence. Caprasius was born sometime in the fourth century in Gaul. He came from a rich and distinguished family, but gave up great ...

, founded a monastery on it at some time around the year 410. According to tradition, Honoratus made his home on the island intending to live as a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite ( adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a C ...

, but found himself joined by disciples who formed a monastic community around him. They came from all parts of Roman Gaul and from Brittany.Besse, Jean. "Abbey of Lérins." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 20 October 2017

John Cassian John Cassian, also known as John the Ascetic and John Cassian the Roman ( la, Ioannes Eremita Cassianus, ''Ioannus Cassianus'', or ''Ioannes Massiliensis''; – ), was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated in both the Western and Eastern ...

had a high opinion of and close ties with the monastery of the Lérins. During the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries, the influence exerted by the abbey was considerable. In 426 St. Maximus was elected

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

and remained for seven years until he was appointed the first documented leader of the

Ancient Diocese of Riez The former French Catholic diocese of Riez existed at least from fifth century Gaul to the French Revolution. Its see was at Riez, in the modern department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. History According to an unsupported tradition, the establishm ...

. The second Abbot increased the renown of the cloister by his miracles and sanctity. There is also a tradition that

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints b ...

, patron saint of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, studied here in the fifth century, and during the sixth century, Saint Quinidius was a monk at Lérins. The abbey provided three bishops for the diocese of Arles: Honoratus himself, followed by

Hilarius Hilarius is the given name of: * Hilarius of Aquileia (died c. 284), saint, bishop of Aquileia, Italy * Hilarius or Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310 – c. 367), Bishop of Poitiers and Doctor of the Church * Hilary the Deacon (Latin: Hilarius Diacon ...

and Cesarius in the fifth and sixth centuries respectively. Faustus, also a monk of Lérins, succeeded Maximus as bishop of Riez. The next known abbot was

Porcarius I Porcarius I (fl. 489–495) was the abbot of Lérins in the late fifth century and into the early sixth. He wrote at least one spiritual treatise in Latin and two other works have been tentatively assigned to him. Life Porcarius' abbacy cannot be ...

in the period 488–510. One of the Church's most famous authors

Vincent of Lérins Vincent of Lérins ( la, Vincentius; died ) was a Gallic monk and author of early Christian writings. One example was the ''Commonitorium'', c.434, which offers guidance in the orthodox teaching of Christianity. Suspected of semipelagianism, ...

dwelt in this monastery in the 5th century. Saint Nazarius (Abbot) (Saint Nazaire), the fourteenth abbot of Lérins, probably during the reign of the Merovingian

Clotaire II Chlothar II, sometime called "the Young" (French: le Jeune), (May/June 584 – 18 October 629), was king of Neustria and king of the Franks, and the son of Chilperic I and his third wife, Fredegund. He started his reign as an infant under the r ...

(584-629), successfully attacked the remnants of paganism on the southern coast of France, overthrew a sanctuary of

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

near

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

, and founded on its site a convent for women, which was destroyed by the

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia ...

in the eighth century. In the 630s, Saint Agricola of Avignon was a monk here before being called to become

bishop of Avignon The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Avignon ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Avenionensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse d'Avignon'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese exercises jurisdiction over the t ...

. Over the following centuries, monastic life on the island was interrupted on several occasions by raids, mostly attributable to

. Around 732, many of the community, including the abbot, Saint Porcarius, were massacred on the island by invaders. It is said that many of the monks escaped, because Porcarius had been warned of the attack by an angel and had sent them to safety.

Second foundation

During the Middle Ages, the monks were obliged to take an active part in defending the coasts against incursions of the Moors of Algeria, and a fortified monastery was built between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. In medieval times, the island became a very popular place of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

. This was encouraged by the writings of

Raymond Féraud Honoratus (french: Saint Honorat; c. 350 – 6 January 429) was the founder of Lérins Abbey who later became an early Archbishop of Arles. He is honored as a saint in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Life Honoratus was born in the ...

, a monk who composed a mythological life of Honoratus. The abbey was an important strategic position in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries during the Franco-Spanish wars. In 1635 the island was captured by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and the monks were expelled. They returned from exile in

Vallauris Vallauris (; oc, Valàuria) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is located in the metropolitan area, and is today effectively an extension of the town of Antibes ...

two years later, when the island was retaken by the French. The monastery continued to suffer from Spanish and Genoese attacks. The number of monks dwindled to four and, in the pre-revolutionary climate of the time, the monastery was disestablished in 1787. In the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

, the island became the property of the state, and was sold to a wealthy actress, Mademoiselle de Sainval, who lived there for twenty years.

Third foundation

In 1859, the island was bought by the

Bishop of Fréjus A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, who sought to re-establish a religious community there. Ten years later, a

community was founded, which has remained there since. The monks cultivate their own vegetables and get most of their electricity from the numerous solar panels. The annual grape harvest festival in early September is a key event in the calendar.Pouille, Jordan. "Inner Peace", ''The Guardian'', May 11, 200
/ref>

References

External links