Solesmes Abbey

A while back a reader sent me this photo of the Solesmes Abbey in the department of Sarthe, in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire. The map below shows the location of Sarthe. I was struck by the size of the building and by the silvery green foliage that seems to have been there for thousands of years.

However, the building itself is not ancient. Though the original structure dates from 1010, it was damaged considerably during the Hundred Years' War, then restored, only to be partly destroyed during the Revolution. The buildings that escaped demolition were purchased and again restored by a local priest, Prosper Guéranger in 1831. Inspired by a vision of renewed monastic life in France, he brought in a Benedictine community that settled and flourished there. It was elevated to the rank of an abbey by the Pope in 1837. The abbey is noted for its crucial contribution to the advancement of the Roman Catholic liturgy and the revival of Gregorian chant. (Source: Wikipedia)

With so many mosques and unattractive edifices being built today, it's a pleasure to behold this grand example of religious architecture, set in an almost primeval landscape. And as we approach Christmas it's always reassuring to return to something that comforts the weary soul.

Here is a wonderful six-minute video that presents first the history of the abbey (in French, but very similar to Wikipedia's summary), then a series of lovely images of the abbey, both indoors and out, with Gregorian chant in the background. You do not really need to know French to appreciate it.

The monk who speaks in the video stresses the community's need for silence and the requirement of obedience - to the abbot and to the Pope. There are about 50 monks in the abbey.




Here's another view.


Thanks to zazie.