Loc-Dieu
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The abbey of Loc-Dieu is a cistercian abbey located near Martiel, 9 km west from Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the department of Aveyron in France.
Funded in 1123 in a place formely called Locus Diaboli (Devil's place) due to the large amount of dolmens around it, it was renamed by the monks into Locus Dei, Loc-Dieu: the place of God.
Burnt by the English in 1409, the buildings were rebuild in 1470 and the abbey fortified.
The abbey was sold by the French government during the French revolution in 1793 and the Cibiel family bought it in 1812, whose descendants still live in it.
The buildings were restaured in 1840 (East wing) and in 1880 (South and West wings).
In 1940, the paintings of the Louvre, including the Mona Lisa, were hidden in Loc-Dieu during the summer to escape the German troops.
The abbey and its large park are now open to visit.
Architecture
- Church: built between 1159 and 1189, the church remains intact. This is one of the first gothic building of the southern France due to the fact that it was achieved by architects from Burgundy. It follows the cistercian rules, i.e the greatest simplicity as possible, and there no other decoration than the stone and the light.
- Closter and Capitular room: rebuilt in 1470, they are replacing the previous romanesque closter. They present a strong gothic style.
External links
- [fr]
- More pictures : [www.cister.net]
- Pictures from the sky : [Photothèque Gaud]
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