Sainte-Enimie (; ) is a former commune in the

Lozère Lozère (; ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the ...

department in southern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune

Gorges du Tarn Causses Gorges du Tarn Causses (; ) is a commune in the department of Lozère, southern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2017 by merger of the former communes of Sainte-Enimie (the seat), Montbrun and Quézac.leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

in the surrounding waters. It was the site of several monasteries, some of which still remain. Located in the

Gorges du Tarn The Gorges du Tarn () is a canyon formed by the Tarn (river) between the Causse Méjean and the Causse de Sauveterre, in southern France. The canyon, mainly located in the Lozère ''département In the administrative divisions of France, t ...

, it is a member of association.

History

The town is named after Énimie, who, according to a 13th-century poem by

Bertran Carbonel Bertran Carbonel (fl. 1252–1265) was a Provençal troubadour from Marseille. He is a polarising figure among scholars and his reputation varies between authorities. Eighteen of his lyric works survive, as well as seventy-two (Gaunt and Kay) or n ...

troubadour of Marseille, was a daughter of the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

king

Clothar II Chlothar II, sometimes called "the Young" ( French: le Jeune), (May/June 584 – 18 October 629) was king of the Franks, ruling Neustria (584–629), Burgundy (613–629) and Austrasia (613–623). The son of Chilperic I and his third wife, Fred ...

.None of the contemporary sources mention a daughter by this name. When she reached

marriageable age Marriageable age is the minimum legal age of marriage. Age and other prerequisites to marriage vary between jurisdictions, but in the vast majority of jurisdictions, the marriageable age as a right is set at the age of majority. Nevertheless, ...

, she did not want to marry, preferring to care for

leper Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve da ...

s instead. According to Bertran, she asked God to help her avoid marriage; she was then infected with leprosy. Her father wished for her to be cured and had her taken to be bathed in the waters of

Gévaudan Gévaudan (; ) is a historical area of France in Lozère ''département''. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe. History After the conquest of Gaul, the Romans preserved the capital city of the Gabali, ''Anderitum'', which they ...

, to no avail. An attempt at

Bagnols-les-Bains Bagnols-les-Bains (; ) is a former commune in the Lozère department in southern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Mont Lozère et Goulet.Burlats near the Tarn miraculously cured her disease. However, when she returned home to marry her noble suitor, she was once again infected with leprosy and returned to Burlats, where she was cured once more. This process was repeated a third time, after which it was decided that she must remain in that area. She briefly lived in a cave before starting a

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

and becoming a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

and eventually died there. When her brother

Dagobert I Dagobert I (; 603/605 – 19 January 639) was King of the Franks. He ruled Austrasia (623–634) and Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dynasty to wield real royal power, after which the ...

came to look for relics buried with her to decorate his

Basilica of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and archite ...

, the nuns tricked him, and he ended up finding the relics of Énimie's niece instead. Two monasteries, one male and one female, were built in the area but destroyed by invasions. Stephen,

Bishop of Mende The Diocese of Mende (Latin: ''Dioecoesis Mimatensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Mende'') is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese covers the department of Lozère. The diocese was already in existence in 314, since Geniali ...

, requested that a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery be built there, and it was completed in 951. It became a popular pilgrimage destination due to the miraculous story surrounding its founding. During the French Revolution in 1798, the monastery was destroyed and the town renamed "Puy Roc"; however, this lasted only a short time. In 1905, a road was built along the Tarn, giving the village greater commercial exposure. Starting in the 1950s, tourism became a major part of Sainte-Enimie's economy. It was recently connected more closely to the rest of France with the construction of the

A75 autoroute The A75 is an '' autoroute'' (motorway) in France. Known also as ''la Méridienne'', it is a developmental project aiming to speed up, and reduce the cost of car travel from Paris to the south of France. Apart from the Millau Viaduct, it is fre ...

Geography

Sainte-Enimie is located in the

in the

department of southern France. It has an area of . The village is close to other

towns including

Ispagnac Ispagnac (; ) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department of France France, officially the French Repub ...

Chanac Chanac () is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of the Lozère department of France France, officially the French Republic ...

, and Quézac, and is away from

Millau Millau (; ) is a commune in Occitania, France. Located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers, the town is a subprefecture of the Aveyron department. Millau is known for its Viaduct, glove industry and several nearby natural ...

Adjacent communes

Villages

In addition to the village of Sainte-Enimie, several other villages are located on the territory of the commune. They include: * Boisset * Castelbouc * Champerboux * Hauterives * Pougnadoires * Prades *

Saint-Chély-du-Tarn Saint-Chély-du-Tarn is a village in the commune of Sainte-Enimie, of the Lozère ''département'' in France. It is located in the Gorges du Tarn The Gorges du Tarn () is a canyon formed by the Tarn (river) between the Causse Méjean and the C ...

Landmarks

Sainte-Enimie is a popular tourist destination. All that remains of the original 10th-century abbey, which was mostly destroyed in the French Revolution, is a chapter house and chapel. Other popular sites include the Ecomusée du Vieux Logis, a Romanesque church from the 14th century, and the Chapel of Saint Madeleine, which also dates back to the 14th century. Saint-Enimie is located near the

Cévennes National Park Cévennes National Park () is a List of national parks of France, French national park located in Southern France, in the mountainous area of Cévennes. Created in 1970, the park has its administrative seat in Florac at Florac Castle. It is loca ...

, away from the Aven Armand cave.

Population

References

External links

Marie de Saint-Enimie

Gorges du Tarn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sainteenimie Former communes of Lozère Plus Beaux Villages de France Lozère communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia