Caunes-Minervois Abbey

Caunes-Minervois, France

The foundation of the Benedictine abbey Caunes-Minervois was the work of Aniane, Saint Benoît d'Aniane's friend, at the end of the 8th century. Originally under the direct protection of the King of France, the monastery later passed into the hands of the Count of Barcelona, before ending up as a possession of the Trencavel family who decided to renounce their rights in 1195.

During the Crusade against the Albigensians, several times, the Abbot of Caunes welcomed the Pope's representatives who came to preach the Catholic orthodoxy. In 1227, Pierre Isarn, the Cathar bishop of the Carcasses area was burned at the stake at Caunes.

The 13th and 14th centuries were marked by power struggles between secular and religious authorities, and by prosperity for the monastery whose members increased from about fifteen to about thirty.

The establishment, in 1467, of a commendam whereby a manager took over the running of the abbey, signalled the beginning of the decline of monastic values at Caunes. It was only at the beginning of the 17th century that a series of reforms was instigated by the Abbot Jean d'Alibert. In particular, he restored the buildings and re-built the abbey's residence. Then, the congregation of Saint-Maur took possession of the abbey in 1663 and rebuilt the moastic buildings. The abbey became state property in 1791, with the exception of the church which became property of the municipality.

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Details

Founded: 8th century
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Frankish kingdoms (France)

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Yu Huang (2 years ago)
Music a bit too loud but really happy atmosphere
Gavin Kempin (2 years ago)
We booked a low (normal) table for dinner but were given one of the tall tables with stools and when we asked to be moved were told off-hand that all the low tables were booked. Not happy. We ordered hot tapas dishes - the squid described as cubes done on a plancha (grill) was cold when it arrived, the squid didn't look or smell or taste like it was from a plancha, and it was rubbery - it was inedible. The beef dish was also stingy and chewy and only very slightly warm, nearly inedible. The chicken nuggets were dry and not good. The food service was very slow, and from the cold state our food arrived in I'd guess it was waiting quite a while to be served. My recommendation - don't go there for the food, or at least not the tapas, because it's no good at all.
Therese Laker (2 years ago)
Greasy food. Uncomfortable seating. Both courses served at same time. Awful prawns. Music loud and then volume turned even higher prohibiting any conversation.
Marc Mauri (2 years ago)
This is a lovely place to grab some drinks or eat something. The town where this restaurant is placed is really beautiful! I recommend you to visit it.
Jason Wassermann (5 years ago)
Wonderful simply cooked Tapas with fresh ingredients and very friendly service. Great local wines too
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The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).