Abbey of Saint-Roman

The Abbey of Saint - Roman is a cave monastery near the southern French city of Beaucaire. It bears the name of St. Romanus of Condat.

The monastery is located in the wooded hills just above the Rhone Valley. Already at this early historical times were inhabited by hunters. Towards the end of the 5th century, then settled hermit on the hills Aiguille and Saint-Roman. Gradually the monks enlarged the natural caves and built a chapel, cells and common areas. Probably in the 7th century they accepted the rule of the order of the Benedictines. Although the abbey only a priory was later which was under the Abbey psalmody at Aigues -Mortes, they still had privileges because of their importance. The anti-Pope Urban V opened in the 14th century a papal school, but there was only a short time. When the abbey was fortified in the 14th century, the cave remained largely unchanged. She had a year-round temperature between fourteen and sixteen degrees Celsius. 1538 Abbey psalmody was converted into a Kanonikerschule and so Saint-Roman became independent. It originated in the period that followed a small castle, which was canceled in the first half of the 19th century by its owner. Since the 1960s, the abbey was explored. In 1988, she came into the possession of the municipality of Beaucaire, 1991, she became a monument historique, which further restoration work enabled.