Sainte-Enimie (; oc, Santa Enimia) is a former commune in the

Lozère Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...

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 Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a ge ...

. It was founded in the 7th century by Énimie, who started a convent there after being cured of

leprosy 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 ...

in the surrounding waters. It was the site of several monasteries, some of which still remain. Located in the Gorges du Tarn, it is a member of

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (meaning “the most beautiful villages of France”) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of Septem ...

association.

History

The town is named after Énimie, who, according to a 13th-century poem by Bertran Carbonel troubadour of Marseille, was a daughter of the

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

king

Clothar 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 ...

.None of the contemporary sources mention a daughter by this name. When she reached marriageable age, she did not want to marry, preferring to care for lepers 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 (; oc, Gavaudan, Gevaudan) is a historical area of France in Lozère ''département''. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe subordinate to the Arverni. History After the conquest of Gaul, the Romans preserved the c ...

, to no avail. An attempt at

Bagnols-les-Bains Bagnols-les-Bains (; oc, Banhòls) 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 Burlats () is a commune in the Tarn department and Occitanie region of southern France. Population Notable monuments * The Adelaide Pavilion, a unique showcase of Roman civil architecture that cradled the birth of ''l’Amour courtois'' (“c ...

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 a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

and becoming a nun and eventually died there. When her brother

Dagobert I Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dy ...

came to look for relics buried with her to decorate his

Basilica of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, 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 ...

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

, requested that a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

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 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 ...

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.

Geography

Sainte-Enimie is located in the Gorges du Tarn in the

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

towns including

Ispagnac Ispagnac (; oc, Espanhac) is a commune in the Lozère department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative di ...

, Chanac, and Quézac, and is away from

Millau Millau (; oc, Milhau ) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region in Southern France. One of two subprefectures in Aveyron alongside Villefranche-de-Rouergue, it is located to the southeast of the prefecture, Rodez. With a ...

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 ( oc, Gòrjas de Tarn) is a canyon formed by the Tarn (river) between the Causse M ...

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, away from the

Aven Armand Aven Armand is a limestone cave located in the Cévennes National Park of France, in the Lozère ''département'', between Meyrueis and Sainte-Enimie known for the tallest known stalagmite of 30 meters. History It was first scientifically explo ...

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