ST. ROMANESQUE ABBEY
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An ancient troglodytic monastery, with a chapel and rock necropolis, carved into the limestone rock, overlooking the Rhone.
Five kilometers north of Beaucaire, on a massif in the heart of the garrigue, this unusual and unique place in Europe will transport you to a temporal and spatial elsewhere with Middle Eastern accents. Archaeologists date this ancient troglodytic monastery from the 9th century, speculating on a foundation around the5th century, but the occupation of the massif in caves is much earlier. Carved into the limestone by hermits and then by Benedictine monks, one can still walk through its maze of tunnels serving a large multi-story hall, the chapel, the monastic cells and a wine press. In the chapel and on the summit, one finds oneself in an important necropolis, with numerous tombs dug in the stone. The strangeness and beauty of the place, as well as the mysteries surrounding the foundation of the place, reminiscent of the very first Christians, capture visitors of all ages. Archaeological work began around 1965, but the place remains mainly known to the initiated and is little promoted. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1990, and the object of research between 2018 and 2022, the site now knows how to better welcome the general public. The visit is free or guided for groups under reservation, and "magic" aperitifs are regularly scheduled, giving the opportunity to see the chapel illuminated with LED candles, placed in the many niches of the wall that were used in the Middle Ages. On a clear day, the magnificent 360-degree view plunges into the Rhone Valley.
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