Sauvelade

Sauvelade is a commune with 272 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques in the Aquitaine region.

At the Abbey in place of GR 65 passes. This largely follows the historical course of the French Road to Santiago Via Podiensis.

Geography and transport

Sauvelade located in the southwest of France in the northern Pyrenean foreland. The place belongs to the historic region of Béarn, which is adjacent to the French Basque country. The place is located amidst wooded hills, with views of the Pyrenees peaks. The nearest town is Orthez, which is in the north on the route D275 - D947 reached after about 14 kilometers of road. The next major French cities are Toulouse (174 km ) to the east and Bordeaux ( 161 km) to the north. The municipality is crossed by the river laa.

History

The name Sauvelade is derived from the Latin word silva lata ( large forest ). The monastery was founded in 1127 Sauvelade by Benedictine monks, after they had been acquired through a donation of Count Gaston IV of Béarn the country. Initially (before 1286) the abbey was called Saint -Jacques, to show that it served to protect the pilgrims. As of 1286, the monastery is continued by the Cistercians. In the religious wars the monastery in 1569 by Protestant troops, under the leadership of Count Montgomery, devastated. 1630, the area is during the Counter Reformation again Roman Catholic. During the French Revolution the monks are finally distributed and sold the Abbey as national property.

Way of St. James ( Via Podiensis )

Since the 12th century the abbey of Sauvelade supervised the passing pilgrims. Even today in the monastery a pilgrim hostel (French: Gîte d' étape ) and a restaurant. In addition, the site offers several private rooms (French: Chambre d' hôtes ). The path continues through the hills of the Pyrenees foothills. Again and again, cross streams, resulting in a constant up and down before the city Navarrenx is achieved. After Navarrenx performs as a street connecting the route D110, D111.

Culture and economy

  • In Sauvelade there are the typical farms of Bearn, where the farm buildings are arranged around a central courtyard.
  • Which belongs to the abbey church from the 13th century is kept simple and plain style of the Cistercians. However, it has a rare floor plan in the shape of a Greek cross. Inside Corinthian columns are with Gallo-Roman inscriptions.

A large part of the population works in agriculture and animal husbandry. It is grown mainly corn. The place is located in the territory of the protected designation of origin (Appellation d' Origine (AOC ) ) of Béarn.

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