Offer 133

Huge historical abbey dating from the 18^th century with a Romanesque church, in the Hérault department

Located between Béziers and Montpellier, 30 minutes from the sea, isolated in an admirable hilly landscape, this ancient abbey was founded by Emperor Charlemagne. It represents the bigger historical set of the department and features a large Romanesque church (listed as a historical monument, M.H.) and a conventual palace, masterpiece built by Giral and I.S.M.H.-listed (will soon become M.H.-listed) on 7.5 acre of wall-enclosed landscaped grounds, also I.S.M.H.-listed. The total floor space represents 61 300 sq. ft.

The serene majesty of the scenery reveals a masterpiece...

In 805, Emperor Charlemagne founded here a priory with authority to rule the surroundings. A church was built, the land was cleared, peasants settled and the place became a parish. Soon, a local lord seized the estate and reduced the monks to poverty. It was not before the 11^th century that the community started flourishing under Saint Augustin's rule and Saint Guiraud's leadership. The number of canons reached 80, which ranked the abbey as one of the most powerful in France. A new large church was built in 1115. The lords of Béziers used to bury their late family members there. In the whole area, Saint Guiraud had been worshipped until the 17^th century. From the 14^th century, the abbey experienced a period of decline, which ended when it joins the "Congrégation de France" during the 17^th century.

The conventual palace

During the 18^th century, the number of canons was still low. But the income of the abbey, based on taxes (tithes and farming rent on thousands of acres) was considerable. In 1754, the "Génovéfains" canons decided an extensive rebuilding of the abbey to match the other powerful monasteries of the period. Jean-Antoine Giral, the most famous architect of the South of France, who had built the "place royale du Peyrou", was entrusted with the task to build a sumptuous conventual palace. The building was practically achieved when the French Revolution occurred. In 1791, the canons were driven out, the estate nationalized and sold in plots. Using a right-hand man, the Prince of Conti bought the abbey later on.

Again owned by the State from 1947 to 1994, the property was used as a high-school. The current private owners strive to restore this heritage. Recently open to the public, the abbey has attracted 8 000 visitors during 1996.

The conventual palace is composed of 3 wings forming a "U" around the courtyard of the cloister and representing 260 yards of front wall, 52 ft. high. Everything in it is admirable: the noble design, the subtle harmony of the proportions, the fine quality of execution in golden sandstone from Gabian, that expresses Giral's "both precious and uncluttered style" even better than the stone of Montpellier. Also admirable is the inventiveness of the process used to convert the closed space of the cloister into an open space suiting the residential purpose of the palace. The replacement of the eastern wing by two square buildings symbolically linked by a low wall, creates the transition from a cloister to a main courtyard. The religious function of the edifice is still indicated by the arched windows at the ground floor.

The western front of the palace, masterpiece of the Classic period

The opposite front of the palace, westward-oriented, features 3 levels and 19 rows of windows. Two protruding side wings and central part bring life to it. The decoration of this central part - beautifully carved arched windows, exceptional entrance door, remarkable wrought iron works and a low wall with baluster - softens the strictness of the general design and harmoniously fits on the terraces. Here, the architect has used the slope of the grounds to create a series of four terraces that seem to extend the edifice. This impression is enhanced by the handrail of the upper terrace, made in wrought iron matching the decoration of the frontage itself. The central axe is underlined by a series of broadening staircases that lead to a pond...

Continuation of the visit of this estate...

Price: 1 143 367 EUR. (Converting this price into another currency...)

For more information, please contact
Demeures de France
by e-mail,
by telephone: (33) 1 44 17 95 40
or by Fax: (33) 1 44 17 95 77

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