Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, France

Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe became famous throughout the world due to its unique frescoes. They were created by craftsmen in the 11th-12th century. These works of the art managed to preserve their original beauty after hundreds of years. The collection of frescoes is considered the largest in France today. All the murals are made in the Romanesque style. The history of the Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe dates back to the 9th century. The first religious monuments were built on its territory much earlier.

The remains of the martyrs were discovered by chance here in the 9th century. The construction of the monastery began on the order of Charlemagne at the burial site. Representatives of the royal family made large donations to the abbey for hundreds of years. This allowed the construction of a luxurious church, as well as several additional buildings. Serious damage was caused to the religious monument during the religious wars in the 16th century.

Some buildings of the monastery were dismantled at the end of the 17th century. The stones were sold as a building material. Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe was closed during the great French revolution. Its large-scale premises were used as living quarters. Revolutionary feasts were held in the cloister of the abbey for many years. The church located on the territory of the monastery was transformed into a regular parish church.

The original frescoes managed to survive only by a miracle in a series of historical events. They have decorated the monastery since its foundation. The incredible significance of these works of art was realized only at the beginning of the 19th century. A major reconstruction of the monastery began in the mid-19th century. It was possible to restore all its frescoes during the reconstruction. Many of them had already begun to collapse by the time the reconstruction began. Various biblical motifs and scenes are depicted in the frescoes. It is noteworthy that the authors of the ancient frescoes are not known. According to some sources, the best masters of the local painting school were involved in the creation of murals. Their names were not announced. Next - Pont du Gard