Abbey of Saint-Ruf, Avignon
The abbey of Saint-Ruf was a house of canons regular in the city of Avignon between the 11th and 18th centuries.
The abbey of Saint-Ruf was founded as a canonry in 1039 by four clergymen from the cathedral of Avignon named Kamaldus, Odilo, Pontius and Durandus. With the permission of Bishop Benedict, they settled as religiose in a dilapidated church dedicated to Saint Rufus of Avignon that lay to the south of the city. Their community was dedicated to both Saint Rufus and Saint Justus. They followed the rule of Aachen. Eventually they came to recognize the provost of the cathedral chapter as their rector. In or shortly after 1080, Saint-Ruf was promoted to an abbey by Pope Gregory VII. The first abbot, Arbert, introduced the customary and, by 1084, the rule of Saint Augustine.[1]
Against the threat of routiers, the abbey walls were crenellated in the 14th century. Damaged during the French Wars of Religion, the abbey was renovated in 1628. It was in such disrepair in 1764 that it was abandoned. During the French Revolution, the buildings were confiscated and sold off as biens nationaux on 14 September 1796. They were declared a monument historique in 1889.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Vones-Liebenstein 2020, p. 155.
- ^ Baro 2019.
Work cited
[edit]- Baro, Guilhem (2019). "Avignon (Vaucluse): Abbaye de Saint-Ruf". Archéologie médiévale. 49. doi:10.4000/archeomed.25075.
- Smith, D. J. (2003). "The Abbot-Crusader: Nicholas Breakspear in Catalonia". In Bolton, B.; Duggan, A. (eds.). Adrian IV, the English Pope, 1154–1159: Studies and Texts. Aldershot: Ashgate. pp. 29–39. ISBN 978-0-75460-708-3.
- Vones-Liebenstein, Ursula (2020). "The Customaries of Saint-Ruf". In Krijn Pansters (ed.). A Companion to Medieval Rules and Customaries Series. Brill. pp. 155–191.