Cluny Abbey was the largest church in Christendom until St. Peter’s Basilica was constructed in Rome in the 16th century. Founded by William I the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine, in 910, and built as a Benedictine monastery dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, at one time 10,000 monks lived, prayed, and worked in the Cluny network of monasteries. Due to the abbey’s size and wealth, the abbot of Cluny wielded nearly as much power as the pope, and indeed, several abbots became popes. The monastery’s library was one of the finest in Europe housing a large collection of valuable manuscripts. (Unfortunately, many of these were destroyed or stolen when the Huguenots attacked in 1562.)
Because the church in France was viewed as part of the “Ancien Regime” (Old Regime), much of the abbey was destroyed during the French Revolution between 1789 and 1799. Following the Revolution, the abbey was sold and became a stone quarry resulting in near total dismantling of the buildings. Today it is largely in ruins but it was nevertheless, in my opinion, well worth a visit.
What remains of the 656 ft. x 130 ft. church at Cluny Abbey is the south transept. (The transept is the cross piece of a cruciform church.) The nave was completely destroyed but the ruins give you an idea of the once-colossal size of the church. On the diagram below I’ve circled the towers that remain. The south transept is at the bottom of the diagram.
From the public domain
Remaining south transept
Entrance
Map of site as it exists today
The nave would have extended through the area in the photo below to the tiny red dot at the top of the stairs which is Jim. In the foreground, you can see the bases of the columns that once supported the roof.
Ruins of church nave
Original side entrance to nave
Inside the south transept
Inside the south transept
Inside the south transept
Inside the south transept
I couldn’t remember what our guide told us about the sarcophagus below so I emailed Cluny Abbey and I’m so excited to tell you I got a response. How’s that for customer service? This is an old Merovingian sarcophagus that was used to entomb the Duke of Aquitaine’s sister, Ava, who was the only woman entombed in the church. It was found near the choir of the church.
Sarcophagus
Decorative capital depicting the sacrifice of Isaac
Decorative piece from Cluny
Daisy Portal decoration
Outer wall of south transept
Entrance to Bourbon Chapel at Cluny Abbey
Ceiling in Bourbon Chapel
Bourbon Chapel at Cluny Abbey
Bourbon Chapel at Cluny Abbey
Excavation area
Cloister at Cluny Abbey
Chapter House where the monks lived with south transept behind at Cluny Abbey
Entrance to Chapter House that was used as administrative offices following the French Revolution
Gardens at Cluny Abbey
Grounds at Cluny Abbey and Granary
Rose from the garden in November
Hallway in Chapter House
Following our tour, we checked out the 3-D film that showed how the Abbey would have appeared before it’s destruction. You’ll find a sample of it from Youtube below.
Todd and Lois, another couple on our Viking River Cruise, also took lots of photos and in chatting with them, Todd told me about his website. To see his outstanding photos of our trip, please check out http://www.informalphotography.com/France-2016.
Cluny was our final excursion on our first Viking River Cruise. We enjoyed it so much we booked another cruise for October 2017. Next time we’ll cruise the Rhine River beginning in Basel, Switzerland with stops in France and Germany and ending in Amsterdam.
For now, adieu to the Viking Buri.
Our ship, the Viking Buri, as we depart
Lori, Kathy, Jerry, Jim headed to the airport
Based on events from November 2016.
