ABBAYE DE LÉRINS

Around 405, when Saint Honorat, a young Gallo-Roman patrician, arrived on the islands with some companions, including Saint Caprais, they were deserted. Honorat did not take long to attract numerous disciples. He quickly built a monastery and a church. In 428, when he became Archbishop of Arles, the monastery had become one of the most famous in the West. During the first two centuries of its history, Lérins saw an influx of monks of great personality, mostly from noble backgrounds, such as Saint Hilaire, Saint Faust and Saint Eucher. In the 7th century, Saint Aygulphe established the rule of Saint Benedict. In 731, the monks and their abbot were massacred by the Saracens. At the end of the 10th century, the monastery is of Cluniac type. Fortified buildings were built, still visible today. The pilgrimage to Saint Honorat developed from the 12th century. The regime of the Commende, in the middle of the 15th century, marked the decline of the abbey. Only four monks remained when the Pope secularized it in 1787. In 1859, Bishop Jordany, Bishop of Fréjus, bought the island and restored monastic life. The first monks arrived in 1869. Since then, Lérins has become the seat of the Cistercian congregation of the Immaculate Conception, founded by Dom Barnouin, and has an abbey in Canada, two in France, and a house in Vietnam and Italy. The community is home to monks of many different nationalities. The retreats are open to both men and women, couples and groups.

Services: Lauds at 7:30 a.m. (7:45 a.m. in summer), Mass at 11:25 a.m. (9:50 a.m. on Sundays and solemnities and 11 a.m. on feast days), Sext at 12:25 p.m., Ninth at 2:30 p.m., Vespers at 5:45 p.m. (6 p.m. in summer).

Reception: maximum capacity of 30 beds with single rooms (with washbasins and separate sanitary block) and double rooms with bathroom primarily for couples or special needs. One PMR room.

Store: productions of the famous vineyard of the monastery, red and white wines as well as liqueurs and eaux-de-vie, the liqueur La Sénancole based on aromatic plants.

Visits: it is possible to tour the island by visiting a number of buildings. On the south side, surrounded by the sea, stands the monastery fortified between the 11th and 14th centuries. Also worth seeing is the chapel of Saint Caprais, which was rebuilt on its ruins. Guided tours of the fortified monastery from early July to mid-September. The rest of the year, free access from 10:30 am to 4 pm. Chapel of the Trinity: guided tours from the beginning of July to mid-September.