Abbey of Saint Victor, Marseille
The Abbey of Saint -Victor de Marseille was founded (around 360 to 435) near the graves of the martyrs of Marseilles in the 5th century by John Cassian. Among these tombs was eponymous Victor of Marseilles, † 303 or 304 The Abbey is since 1700 been one of the centers of Catholicism in southern France.
John Cassian, a monk in Bethlehem, wandering monk in Egypt, deacon of St. John Chrysostom ( 344/49-407 ) in Constantinople Opel, priest at Antioch or Rome, was in the year 416 in Marseilles, where Proculus, bishop of Marseille, assigned him, on the south bank of the Lacydon ( the Old Port of Marseille) to found a monastery. So it is in this abbey is the oldest monastic community in Western Europe. From the late 10th to the 18th century, there were Benedictine monks.
Antiquity
In the Roman Empire the area was a quarry around the Abbey, a grotto in this quarry was later to a Christian necropolis, which was perhaps built around the remains of the martyrs Volusianus and Fortunatus. John Cassian left the monastery to the cave (now the Chapel of Our Lady of the Confessions ) build around.
Victor of Marseilles, who was crushed under a millstone because he refused to renounce the Christian faith, and of the Abbey gave his name was - after Eucher, Archbishop of Lyon in the 5th century - an officer in the Theban Legion, which completely consisted of Christians, many of whom were killed during the persecutions of Diocletian and Maximian in 303.
Middle Ages
From 750-960 Saint -Victor was the residence of the Bishops of Marseille. Charlemagne entrusted the abbey the salt law, customs fees and anchor in the port of Marseille. Louis the Pious and Lothar I confirmed these privileges.
The late 9th or early 10th century, the abbey was destroyed by Saracen raids. Honorat II, Bishop of Marseille since 948 and relative of the first Viscount of Marseille had the monastery rebuilt. His relative Pons I., Bishop 977, continued this work.
The first abbot of Saint -Victor was founded in 1005 Wilfredus (or Guilfred ). Pope John XVIII. († 1009 ) of the work granted to a number of important privileges, which justified the wealth of the monastery and were confirmed by many popes in the sequence. In order 1020-1047 was the Catalan monk Isarn abbot of Saint -Victor; under whose government the power of the monastery grew so strong that Pope Benedict IX. in 1040, consecrated the church, and Isarn was canonized after his death on September 24, 1047.
On September 28, 1362 Abbot William Grimoard was elected Pope, he took the name of Urban V. After his death in Avignon in 1370 his body was transferred to Saint -Victor.
From 1570 to 1588 was Giulio de Medici abbot of Saint -Victor. Historians suspect him of the abbey's library - whose inventory was written down in the 12th century - to have looted. Jules Mazarin, abbot since 1655, is also suspected to have been a part of the books acquired.
Dissolution of the abbey
On December 17, 1739, Pope Clement XII. the secularization of the abbey. 1794 the monastery and two churches were robbed, burned the relics, gold and silver used to strike coins, and converted the building into a straw and a prison.
20th century
1963 began the city of Marseille and the Ministry of Culture with a complete renovation of the abbey, which was included in the list of Monuments historiques 1997.