Abbey of Saint Martial, Limoges

The Abbey of Saint Martial (French: Abbaye Saint-Martial, Limoges; Limousin: Abadiá de Sent Marçau de Limòtges) was a monastery in Limoges, France, founded in 848 and dissolved in 1791.

The buildings were razed at the beginning of the 19th century. The only remaining part is the 10th-century

The abbey reached the peak of its importance in the century following its take-over by Cluny Abbey in 1065, when it was famed for its literature and music. However, the shrine was stolen by Henry II of England, who was also the Duke of Aquitaine. Turmoil in the land was interpreted as the saint's response to the disturbance of his bones. The body was reburied and an altar placed above it.

The disturbances of the 12th century were followed by a period of rebuilding and a century of renewed prosperity. However, they had been only a foretaste of the destruction and disruption of the Hundred Years' War. The Limousin was not spared in the dynastic and religious conflicts of the 16th and 17th centuries. The abbey went through a protracted decline and it never recovered the greatness of its heyday.

There was considerable rebuilding and repair in the early 18th century. However, in 1791, during the French Revolution, the abbey community was dissolved, and in the following year the sacking and demolition of the building began. By 1807 this was complete. The area was levelled and turned into a new public space, the Place de la République. Portions of the relics of the martyrs, allegedly saved by faithful Catholic citizens of Limoges, were rehoused in the nearby church of St. Michel des Lions. The twin Castle and Cathedral cities were at last unified into a single municipality under secular governance.

Excavations were carried out from 1960, on the initiative of the city council, in the hope of uncovering the remains of the abbey and the shrine of Saint Martial. By 1962, the crypt containing the tombs of Saints Martial and Valerie had been rediscovered. Excavations were then pushed further to the east, revealing more church buildings belonging to the abbey. From 1966, the crypt with the surrounding area was consolidated and opened to the public, the whole being covered with a large concrete slab. Today, it is entered down a flight of steps from the Place de la République above. Admission is free.

Excavations started again in July 2015 to carry out detailed studies of the remains before revamping of the Place de la Republique.

Music

The abbey was the center of several important developments in

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  Sarcophagus of Saint Martial, focus of the medieval cult, in the crypt beneath the modern Place de la République.
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  Mosaic depicting birds drinking from a cup, symbol of eternal life, above the sarcophagus of Saint Martial.
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  Cupboard of the Arm, a medieval reliquary in the crypt.
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  Tomb of Saint Valerie of Limoges, an associate of Saint Martial.
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  Chapel of Saint Benedict, part of the crypt complex, and dating mostly from the 13th century.
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  Choir of Saint Peter of the Sepulchre, the original church at the shrine, rebuilt in the 10th century and much modified in later centuries.

References

Studies

• Grier, James (2003). "The music is the message: music in the apostolic liturgy of Saint Martial". Plainsong and Medieval Music. 12 (1): 1–14.
  S2CID 162554319
  .
• Grier, James (2005). "The Musical Autographs of Adémar de Chabannes (989–1034)". Early Music History. 24: 125–168.
  S2CID 194078301
  .
• Grier, James (2006). "The music is the message II: Adémar de Chabannes' music for the apostolic Office of Saint Martial". Plainsong and Medieval Music. 15 (1): 43–54.
  S2CID 162870563
  .

• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 909". Troper, Sequentiary, and Tonary of St. Martial de Limoges (1028). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 1085". Abridged Antiphonary from the church St. Salvator Mundi, St. Martial Abbey in Limoges with later additions for the patron Saint Martial by Adémar de Chabannes (late 10th century). Retrieved 30 December 2011.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 1120". Troper, Proser, Processional of St. Martial de Limoges (late 10th century). Retrieved 30 September 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 1121". Troper, Sequentiary, and Tonary of St. Martial de Limoges, Adémar de Chabannes (ca. 1025). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fonds latin, ms. 1132". Gradual-Proser of the Abbey Saint-Martial at Limoges (late 11th century). Retrieved 2 October 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 1139". Prosae (4 series), historical documents, versus and Benedicamus tropes (some polyphonic), medieval dramas, troped kyries and Marian Offices, Abbey Saint-Martial of Limoges (late 12th, early 13th century). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 1240". Troper from the church St. Salvator Mundi, St. Martial Abbey in Limoges with later additions neumes, a tonary and an octave for the patron Saint Martial by Adémar de Chabannes (933-936). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 3549". Fragments (conducts, tropes, sequences) of the Abbey Saint-Martial of Limoges (second half 12th century). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
• "Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds lat., Ms. 3719". Sequences, conducts, tropes of Benedicamus, Sanctus and Kyrie, Office of the Virgin (ff. 93r-108v) at the Abbey Saint-Martial of Limoges (12th and 13th century). Retrieved 30 December 2013.

• This article is based mainly on the English-language version of the guide to the excavated site, available free to visitors.