Arthous Abbey

Arthous Abbey (formerly known as the Abbey of St. Mary of Arthous) was founded in 1167 in a deserted area bordering the Basque Country. The abbey belongs to the Order of Premonsterians. 

The abbey was badly damaged due to religious wars in the 16th century. In particular, the Huguenots burned the choir of the church and canonical buildings in 1571, and the archives were eradicated.

The abbey church was built in a late Romanesque style and its monastery buildings reconstructed in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are an interesting example of modern canonical architecture. The abbey ceased to exist completely in 1791 and was used as a farm. A dilapidated church served as a barn. Almost nothing remained of the original monastic buildings except for the foundations of the western and northern walls.

In 2021, the Arthous Abbey is celebrating its origins and its collections which gave birth to the museum. The exceptional sculptures of prehistoric horses discovered in the 1960s in the neighboring town of Sorde-l'Abbaye, of which it is the custodian, are the subject of a photographic exhibition and a new space for promotion: the treasure room.

References:

• all-andorra.com

Address

Route de l Abbaye 785, Hastingues, France

Details

Founded: 1167
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)