The Abbey of Saint-Jean Orbestier was founded in 1107. Nine centuries later it is still as imposing abbey church which has survived the abandonment of history, it is hard to imagine how the Benedictine monks have shaped the land and the local economy from this abbey.
In 1251 the first fire, whose origin remains unknown, ravaged the monastery. In 1340, the beginning of the Hundred Years War, British troops set fire to the new abbey. Two centuries later, the Wars of Religion caused the third destruction in 1569 and 1570. Protestants and Catholics fought over the land resulting in fire, looting and the confiscation of income and land.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, despite different modes of management and recovery efforts, the abbaye declined with the owners of the Abbey, the Diocese of Lucon declaring the permanent closure of the monastery in 1769. During the Revolution, the abbey was sold as national property. The church roof collapsed in 1912.
Today the church is restored.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.