Romainmôtier Priory

Romainmôtier is a town in the municipality in the district of Orbe Romainmôtier -Envy of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. Romainmôtier is also a district ( cercle ) of the district of Orbe. The communities Romainmôtier and Envy merged in 1970 to the municipality Romainmôtier -Envy.

History

The Benedictine monastery was founded Romainmôtier according to a legend of St. Romain, from the Saint- Claude ( France) originating "Father of the Law ", in the middle of the 5th century. It is thus the earliest monastery was founded on the ground of Switzerland. This first monastery was destroyed in the middle of the 6th century by the Alemanni. Félix Chramnélène founded 632 a second abbey according to the rules of St. Columban. 753 Pope Stephen II visited the abbey and placed them directly to the Holy See. So they got the name " Roman monasterium " - but according to other sources the name comes from St. Romain. Since then, the monks lived according to the Benedictine monastic rules. Nevertheless, the abbey decreased sequentially from a proprietary monastery of the kings of Burgundy, which they 928/29 the reform monastery of Cluny gave. Since that time Romainmôtier had the status of a priory, until 1447 it was again the title of an abbey. Nevertheless, the monastery still of King Rudolf III were. made of Burgundy and later extensive range of Vaud families donations.

These donations represented the beginning of a golden age of the monastery, which lasted until the 15th century. As a result, was built after the model of the second abbey church at Cluny to 1027 in the Romanesque style, a new church.

After Romainmôtier was like in the 13th century under the influence of the Dukes of Savoy, the decline of the abbey began. From now on, only minions of Savoy received the office of the Priors. After the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536, the monastery was abolished. Grounds for immediate secularization were probably close links with Savoy, the enemy of Bern. As a result, the cloister and the convent buildings were demolished with the exception of the Prior House, and the church was converted in 1537 into a Protestant parish church.

Buildings

In the time period of about 990-1030 Collegiate Church was built by Romainmôtier, which has survived to this day almost unchanged time. It is considered one of the oldest buildings in Switzerland in the Romanesque style. The Basilica has a Latin cross plan: a three naves with a transept and a central tower with shallow pyramidal roof, which expires in a sharp needle helmet ( in the 15th century placed ). The original three apses have not survived, they were replaced by rectangular Gothic chapels in the 14th and 15th centuries. One of them bears an octagonal turrets. The entrance area was added in the 14th century.

Inside, the collegiate church contains a pulpit ( early form of the pulpit ) of the previous building dating from the 8th century. Noteworthy are the sun Tomb of the Priors Henri de Siviriez (14th century), the grave of the Priors Jean de Seyssel, frescoes from the 14th century and originating from the 15th century choir stalls in the other. On the south side of the church Remains of the former cloister can be seen.

Dating from the 13th century prior's house served after the secularization of the monastery of the Bernese bailiff of Romainmôtier as the official residence and castle. It underwent some modifications in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the fall of the ancien régime, the castle was converted into a weaving and a wheelwright and several apartments furnished. The dilapidated with time buildings were restored in the 20th century under Catherine von Arx. Today the former Prior building houses a meeting place for artists.