One of the oldest monasteries in Europe. The oldest monastery in Europe: interesting shrines

The central place in the medieval monastery was occupied by the church, around which outbuildings and residential buildings were located. There was a common refectory(dining room), monks' bedroom, library, storage of books and manuscripts. In the eastern part of the monastery there was usually a hospital, and in the north there were rooms for guests and pilgrims. Any traveler could turn here for shelter; the charter of the monastery obliged to accept him. In Western and southern parts The monastery contained barns, stables, a barn and a poultry yard.

Monks were not supposed to go beyond the threshold of the monastery. Communication with the outside world was undesirable for them, because it distracted them from thoughts about saving their souls. Therefore, the monastery lived a secluded life, far from inhabited places. Everything necessary for the existence of the monastery was within its boundaries. Monasteries were often surrounded by fences to protect them from wild animals. To manage the monastery, the monks chose the most learned and respected person from among themselves, he became abbot(father) of the monastery. Material from the site

Medieval monastery

Monk - book copyist

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The monasteries of the Ovčara-Kablar Gorge in the Western Morava are called “Serbian Athos” - this is how St. Nicholas of Serbia wrote about them. But they owe their name not only to the great theologian. In the 14th century, Athonite monks founded a real monastic republic here

On August 27, the church remembers one of the founders of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery - St. Theodosius of the Pechersk. His life and chronicle sources give us the opportunity to follow the first steps of Russian monasticism and see how monastic life was structured.

My paternal ancestors were priests in the Kursk diocese. The parish was passed on to the eldest son, and the rest of the boys in the family became officers in the army. My father and his three brothers graduated from the seminary. But in revolutionary times, they all decided not to become either priests or soldiers. My father became a doctor. And what’s surprising is that after this, mostly girls began to be born into the family, and boys died in infancy! So I am the last in our family. And so the circle closed on me - I had the honor to both defend the Motherland and serve the Church

Even before the middle of the 20th century, almost no one had heard of Orthodoxy in Belgium, and if they had heard of it, they considered it a sect. Today, the only male Orthodox monastery in the country in the name of the icon Mother of God"Joy of All Who Sorrow" (Moscow Patriarchate) - one of the main pilgrimage centers for all Belgian Christians

For centuries they were exiled to the harsh Solovetsky Islands; in the 20th century, the entire earth was soaked in the blood and tears of prisoners. So why do people come here today to feel special freedom and peace? Why do they come back year after year and talk about a special “Solovetsky syndrome”? Answers in the NS report about today Solovkov. PHOTO GALLERY

On January 23 and June 29, the transfer of the relics of St. Theophan the Recluse is celebrated. More than ten years have passed since the day when his relics were returned to the Kazan Church of the Vyshensky Monastery, in which he lived the last 23 years of his life without leaving his cell

Our correspondent visited the monastery where St. Theophan the Recluse spent the last 23 years of his life and wrote his most significant works. What does this place look like? In addition to the previous article, we are publishing a photo report from Vysha and the famous Assumption Monastery near Ryazan

There is probably no Russian person who has not heard anything about St. Sergius Radonezh The saint's disciples and inhabitants of the monastery he founded, which later became the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, founded hundreds of monasteries throughout Russia, so that the Lavra can be considered a missionary monastery

The Pskov-Pechersky Monastery is the only one in Russia that has never been closed. Few people know that during the last threat of its closure in Khrushchev’s times, front-line monks were ready to defend the monastery from the atheists, like Stalingrad from the Nazis. Their resolve was not disgraced. A miracle happened.

On the evening of Sunday, August 5, two Valaam monks, George and Ephraim, rode on a motor scooter to Monastyrskaya Bay to meet another pilgrim group from Moscow. They were only 200 meters away from the pier when a Gazelle jumped out from around the bend. Georgy, sitting behind the wheel, had a split second to think: on the right was a mountain, on the left was a cliff. Steering the steering wheel left and right, he threw his friend off, but did not have time to dodge the blow himself. Georgy died in the hospital without regaining consciousness

Western monasticism began in the 4th century. where it flows today sweet life, – in Marseille and Cannes. Watch a report from the Abbey of Saint-Victor, founded by St. John Cassian the Roman, the same age as the Laurels of Palestine. PHOTO GALLERY

“The fire of monastic service never went out here,” he said about the Pyukhtitsa Monastery His Holiness Patriarch Kirill during a visit to Estonia. IN Soviet time it was one of the few convents that never closed. See our photo report about modern life Pyukhtits

There is a museum in Kolomna near Moscow, the exhibits of which need to be tasted - this is the Museum of Kolomna Pastila. It consists of just one room in the wing of a merchant’s house, where guests are seated at tables set for tea, told stories about the provincial life of Kolomensky Posad of the mid-19th century and treated to home-made marshmallows

October 20 marks 200 years since Napoleon's army left Moscow. We present a gallery of icons from the exhibition “In memory of deliverance from the invasion of the Gauls...”. Russian icon on the eve of the Patriotic War of 1812”, held at the Central Museum of Ancient Russian Culture and Art named after Andrei Rublev.

For the anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 in Moscow, Franz Roubaud’s painting “The Battle of Borodino” was restored, an exhibition “Honor of Borodino Day” and interactive programs were prepared, and the atmosphere and atmosphere of the council in Fili was recreated

Participants in the international museum project “Disappearing Masterpieces” drew up recommendations for the preservation of monuments of wooden architecture in order to transfer them to the Commission for Culture and Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. Scientists believe that this is the last opportunity to draw the state’s attention to the problem.

This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, Russia’s strange war with Napoleon, in which the invincible commander, accompanied by 200 thousand people, rode in vain from the banks of the Neman to the Moscow River, never being able to truly realize his military leadership talents. We are beginning the publication of a series of essays about the Patriotic War of 1812. The first of them, of course, is dedicated to the beginning of the war
April 7 (20) is the day of the death of the Venerable Abbot Daniel, founder of the Trinity Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky. Hegumen Daniel chose for himself an unusual obedience, which he carried out secretly from everyone - the repose of the unburied dead he found in the vicinity of the city

On October 19, 1745, very strange things happened in Dublin - thousands of people buried the dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, who did not serve for a long time, being in London, had a very complicated personal life, offered mothers to fatten their babies for sale, and was passionately involved in politics. Every person in Russia knows this unusual priest today. His name was Jonathan Swift.

The oldest active monastery is the Monastery of St. Catherine, which is located at the foot of Mount Sinai in the very center of the Sinai Peninsula. In the Bible this mountain is called Horeb. The oldest monastery was built in the 6th century by order of Emperor Justinian. Initially, the temple was called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or the Burning Kupima. But from the 11th century, the worship of St. Catherine began to spread, and eventually the monastery was named after her. The monastery complex is included in the list of objects World Heritage UNESCO.

Since its foundation, the monastery has never been destroyed or conquered. And thanks to this, he was able to preserve enormous historical wealth within its walls. Among them are collections of icons, a valuable library of manuscripts, which is second in importance only to the Vatican library. The monastery library was founded under Archbishop Nikifor in 1734. It contains 3304 manuscripts and almost 1700 scrolls, 5000 books, historical documents, and charters. All letters on different languages: Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian and Slavic.

The monastery also has unique icons that have significant artistic, spiritual and historical value. Twelve of them were painted in wax in the sixth century. These are the oldest icons in the world, the rarest and oldest. Some of the icons of the pre-iconoclastic era were exported to Russia, and are now kept in the Kiev Museum named after Bogdan and Varvara. There is in the monastery of St. Catherine and miraculous icon. This is a thirteenth-century triptych depicting the Virgin Mary Bematarissa and scenes from the Virgin cycle.

Many of Europe's oldest monasteries are located in Bulgaria, Scotland and France. And one of the oldest is the monastery of St. Athanasius. It is located in Bulgaria, in the village of Zlatna Livada near the city of Chirpan. Archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the monastery was founded in 344 by Saint Athanasius himself. He was a defender of the Orthodox faith and the postulate of the Holy Trinity. In this monastery, according to archaeologists, some of the famous theological works of Athanasius were written. Another oldest monastery in Europe is the Candida Cassa monastery, which is located in Scotland. The oldest after it is the French monastery of St. Martin.

The oldest monasteries in Russia are located in different corners countries. But the most ancient is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. This is the oldest monastery in Russia. It is located in Murom. The monastery has preserved many ancient icons with unique subjects. Exact date Scientists do not name the foundation of the monastery, but it is believed to be in 1096. It was during this period that mentions of the monastery appeared in Russian chronicles. The founder of the monastery was Prince Gleb, the son of the baptist of Rus' - Prince Vladimir. The monastery was founded on the site of the princely courtyard of the first Christian Church of the All-Merciful Savior. The main shrine of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear,” which was brought from Holy Mount Athos by Archimandrite Anthony.

The oldest monastery in Moscow is St. Danilov monastery. It was founded in 1282 by the first Grand Duke Moscow Daniil Moskovsky. The monastery was built in honor heavenly patron Daniel the Stylite.

Address: Switzerland, St. Gallen
Date of foundation: According to legend, 613
Main attractions: Monastery Library
Coordinates: 47°25"24.9"N 9°22"38.8"E

One of the most interesting attractions in the eastern part of Switzerland can rightfully be called the Monastery of St. Gall.

Monastery of St. Gall from a bird's eye view

This majestic and, frankly speaking, a little gloomy structure, which is sure to attract the attention of lovers of ancient historical and cultural monuments, is located in the Swiss city of St. Gallen. This small town, by modern standards, is the capital of one of the many cantons of Switzerland and is proud of the coat of arms depicting a formidable bear, around whose neck is a collar of pure gold.

By the way, the guide conducting excursions in Switzerland will definitely tell the group that The coat of arms of St. Gallen is closely related to its main landmark, the Monastery of St. Gall, and to be extremely precise, with Saint Gall himself. According to ancient legend, during one of Saint Gall’s travels, a bear attacked his camp: the saint was not at a loss and simply called the bear, which, as if enchanted, approached the fire and threw dry branches into it. The fire flared up even hotter, warming the tired traveler, and the saint gave the bear most of his supplies of bread as a reward for obedience.

General plan of the monastery

Nowadays, you can always meet tourists near the monastery: the thing is that this monastery and its most interesting story known far beyond European country. Behind the walls of the monastery of St. Gall lies the most priceless treasure on our planet. No, these are not gold bars or tiaras decorated with countless precious stones: the monastery stores the knowledge accumulated by humanity over long period time. In the building, which every resident of the cantonal capital is proud of, which, by the way, has the same name as the city - St. Gallen, there is a unique library of its kind.

According to the consensus of historians, this Swiss library is considered one of the oldest collections of books in the whole world. For this reason, the monastery of St. Gall, with its annexes and, of course, the library, was included in the legendary list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This library attracts travelers like a magnet, and this is not surprising: priceless copies of books that are more than 1000 years old are kept outside the walls of the monastery. It is interesting that out of more than 170,000 books and folios, only 50,000 are available for inspection. This is due to the fact that many books, due to their age, require a constant microclimate. In the hall, where 50,000 books are displayed on the shelves, you can admire... real mummies brought by archaeologists from Egypt. The people whose bodies were embalmed and eventually ended up in the library of the Monastery of St. Gall passed away almost 3,000 (!) years ago.

Monastery Cathedral

Monastery of St. Gall history

Surprisingly, the monastery of St. Gall was at one time considered the largest and most famous among similar Benedictine monasteries in the entire Old World! Naturally, like many architectural monuments throughout its history, the monastery was rebuilt more than once. Of course, even the city, in the center of which the building rises, was founded back in the 7th century. Tradition says that the founder of the monastery is Saint Gall himself, who performed many miracles. It was this saint who built a cell in the town in 613, where he could live modestly and pray to God. Based on official documents, which, despite the inexorable passage of time, miraculously survived in the library, experts argue that the founder of the monastery of St. Gall is not the saint himself, but a certain Othmar, who is mentioned in ancient manuscripts as the abbot of the sacred building.

The Monastery of St. Gall has gained popularity not only in its town, but also far beyond its borders. Thousands of pilgrims came to him, many of whom were wealthy people and could afford large donations. Thanks to these donations, the Monastery of St. Gall achieved record short time becomes a kind of religious center, influencing not only St. Gallen, but also the surrounding area.

The wealth, calculated not only in spiritual texts and traditions, but also in gold, allowed the monastery in the 9th century to begin rewriting various religious texts and publishing interpretations of the Bible. It was in those times, or rather in 820, and the legendary library of the monastery of St. Gall was founded. All this became possible because the monastery of the city of St. Gallen in 818 began to report directly to the emperor. Numerous uprisings more than once exposed the monastery to the threat of complete destruction: destroy architectural structure, which has unlimited power, even the indigenous inhabitants of the city in which he was actually located tried. In the mid-15th century, considered a turning point for all of Switzerland, the city of St. Gallen and the monastery of St. Gall were assigned to the Swiss Confederation. It is interesting that they were classified separately, as if we were talking about different territorial units.

The abbot of the monastery of St. Gall was also a politician: he refused to submit to the Swiss Union and, despite the fact that the building was officially part of it, he maintained close ties and fulfilled all the demands of the Roman Empire. However, this state of affairs did not last long: the Reformation adopted a law in 1525 providing for the dissolution of the monastery. For just over thirty years, the monastery of St. Gall experienced difficult times, but already at the end of the 16th century, the building, once built on the site of a monastic cell, became... the center of the principality!

From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the monastery of St. Gall, using its influence, was constantly enriched. In the mid-eighteenth century, the abbot decided to rebuild the monastery. It had to have a facade and interior decoration that fully corresponded to the fashion of that era. Two architects were entrusted with the design of the monastery in the popular Baroque style: Johann Beer and Peter Thumba. These were last years the heyday of the monastery of St. Gall: in France in 1789, a revolution took place that shook the whole of Europe. All the lands belonging to it are taken away from the monastery and completely deprived of power. After the emergence of the Swiss canton of St. Gallen with the capital of the same name, the monastery was dissolved, its former splendor, greatness and influence remained in the past.

Monastery of Saint Gall today

Nowadays, a tourist who comes to the small but cozy town of St. Gallen can see a neat building with a strict facade. As mentioned above, despite the fact that the monastery was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque style, it still looks a little gloomy.

Now it is a cathedral church, divided into two parts by a rotunda. The traveler will be interested to know that the eastern crypt is the only element that remains from a structure dating back to the 9th century! Everything else in the monastery of St. Gall is a “remake” from the 18th century. By the way, according to legend, it is in this crypt that Saint Gall himself is buried, but his grave has not yet been found, which means this information cannot be called reliable. But the grave of the first abbot of the monastery, Otmar, remained untouched; the remains of his successors rest near it.

In the church, which will certainly interest travelers with its interior decoration in the Rococo style, services continue to this day. Worshipers can offer their prayers to God near the grille, which is trimmed with gold, and some of its parts are painted turquoise. By the way, this lattice at one time performed a certain function: it separated ordinary mortals from the rooms where monks lived and prayed (by the way, quite wealthy monks).

Sports ground on the territory of the monastery

It is not surprising that the most popular place among tourists is the western wing. The outbuilding in which the world-famous library is located. One has only to imagine that among her collection there are almost 500 books written before the Savior came to our world. The library is also proud of its dictionary, thanks to which it is possible to translate many words and sayings from Latin to German. This dictionary was created by masters (and previously books were published exclusively by masters), back in 790. This fact suggests that the oldest German book is kept in a small Swiss town. Having not yet recovered from what he saw in the library, the tourist immediately finds himself in the lapidarium, which is also located in the western wing. In it, on shelves made of strong wood, there are priceless finds discovered during archaeological expeditions. Of no less interest will be the huge collection of paintings that do not hang on the walls, but also stand on special shelves. In the same wing there is also the residence of the bishop, in which you can still see the remains of the former greatness and wealth of the monastery of St. Gall.

Medieval monasteries in Europe are among the most visited places by tourists. They used to be real centers public life, because they combined culture, religion, administration, education and even the judicial sphere. The desperate and homeless could find shelter here, and for many children from poor families, education and life in the monastery meant an increase in social status.

Despite the fact that in modern world Most of the original functions of these spiritual places have been lost, but they continue to arouse keen interest.

Firstly, they represent progressive architectural examples of the Middle Ages, and secondly, they are examples of closed complexes that served themselves due to the work performed by the monks, the animals kept and the crops grown. In essence, these were examples of “states within a state” with a special life and history. Often the monasteries of Europe became pulsars of historical actions, where tragic or great events took place. Many of them are shrouded in mystery and even mystical stories, which still excite and capture the imagination of people.

In the very heart of Europe is located not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most historically valuable monasteries of St. Gall. It is located in the eastern part of Switzerland in the small administrative center of St. Gallen. The town is one of the most mountainous in Switzerland, but it is not this that makes it popular and famous, but the fact that it was here that the center of European education, St. Gallen Abbey, was built in the Middle Ages.

The oldest monastery was founded back in 613 by a lonely hermit monk named Gallus. The first who decided to pay great attention to cultural development within these walls was Abbot Otmar, who invited masters from different parts of Europe to organize a local art school. Mixing different trends and genres made it possible to create unique paintings and icons, which are pearls of medieval artistic culture.

The continuator of this tradition was Abbot Waldo, who in the 8th century collected one of the richest libraries in Europe within the walls of the abbey. In addition, there was a strong singing school here, within the walls of which songs in the Gregorian style were masterfully performed. In the 10th century, famous poets and musicians of our time worked here, and a little later, the forefather and founder of German literary literature, Notker Gubasty, worked here.

Until the 18th century, St. Gallen was as influential a monastery in Europe as Notre Dame Cathedral in the Middle Ages, but later the monastery's importance weakened. In the second half of the 18th century, the oldest buildings were demolished, and new churches were erected in their place, embodying the Baroque architectural style, which is still capable of surprising tourists and pilgrims from all over the world.

In 1983, UNESCO added the monastery of St. Gall to the World Heritage List. Within the walls of the city’s main attraction is the oldest library, numbering 160 thousand ancient books, 50 thousand of which are available to everyone.

Anyone who was lucky enough to visit the Austrian city of Admont, located on the Enns River, will never be able to forget the beautiful picture: the oldest monastery buildings from the Middle Ages, reflected in the water surface of the river.

The picturesque Admont owes its appearance to the Archbishop of Salzburg, who initiated its construction in 1704. Active educational work was carried out here, the monks were especially progressive in natural sciences and in the description historical facts. Near the monastery territory a modern school for girls, where the best of the monks taught.

The peak of prosperity came in the Middle Ages, during the ministry of Abbot Engelbert. He was a scientist ahead of his time, from whose pen many significant scientific works. It was at this time that a library began to function in the monastery, which to this day is the largest monastic library not only in Europe, but throughout the whole world. The collection of books is so magnificent that queues of visitors line up here every day. More than 70 thousand people visit the library every year. Here you can see 70 thousand handwritten texts and engravings, and among the 200 thousand books there are a huge number of the oldest copies created before the 13th century.

The hall where the library is located is a huge, bright room in which elements of neo-Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque styles are intricately mixed. In addition, there are museums of natural history and art history on site, and the exhibition hall often hosts music festivals. A special department exhibits paintings for the blind. One can only imagine how unique the exhibitions would have been if the monastery buildings had not been damaged by fire in 1865.

Some treasures of the oldest collection were sold during the crisis years of the 20th century, which became very difficult for the monks. There were years when the activities of the monastery were stopped by the National Socialist government, but from 1946 spiritual activities resumed and have not been suspended since then.

Montecassino

The monastery, created by Benedict of Nursia on the site of the former Temple of Apollo, is considered a landmark place not only for Italy, but also for the history of the whole medieval Europe. Its fate is full of bitter pages, as it was repeatedly destroyed. For this reason, only a small part of the oldest grandeur and beauty observed by the monks and pilgrims of the Middle Ages has been preserved here. Nevertheless, the flow of guests to this monastery, located 120 km from Rome, does not stop in any season.

After the construction of Montecassino in 529, the Benedictine Order arose on its territory. But after 33 years the buildings were destroyed by the Longobards. It took a century and a half to restore, but after another 170 years it was ravaged by the Saracens. Montecassino was rebuilt by Pope Agapit II, who understood its importance in the life of all of Italy. Military attacks also occurred during Napoleon's offensive in 1799.

The next and greatest destruction occurred during the Second World War in February 1944. Then a suspicion arose that there were high-ranking fascist military leaders on the territory of the monastery, so the territory was bombed. Only a few elements of the buildings were able to survive, but the main valuables of the collections, fortunately, managed to be evacuated before the bombing began, so they remained unharmed. During air attacks within the walls of Montecassino, hundreds of civilians who took refuge within these walls during wartime were killed.

On the personal instructions of the Pope, the Benedictine patrimony was restored in the seventies, after which thousands of pilgrims flocked here wanting to see the castle of the Middle Ages. Guests can admire the courtyard, temples, vineyards and listen to stories from medieval life.

In Catholic culture, Saint Maurice is often referred to as the place where heaven is revealed to people. This is the oldest abbey Western Europe, located in Italy, survived the Middle Ages and has survived to this day. Over the past 15 centuries, spiritual life has not stopped here for a single day, and Divine services were held at regular intervals.

Saint-Maurice was founded in 515 on the site of the grave of St. Maurice, in whose honor the abbey received its name. The protection of the chosen saint was so strong that monastic life did not stop for a minute, and no disbandment or significant destruction occurred here. From mouth to mouth, many generations of monks since the Middle Ages have passed on the legend that during the next Divine service within the walls of one of the temples, Saint Martin appeared to those praying here, who is also the patron of this place, like Mauritius.

A local feature was that the ministers of the monastery were always jokers and people of subtle irony. You can verify this now when you come to Saint-Maurice. In many ways, this is what contributed to the fact that the monastery survived for many centuries, without becoming a victim of wars, change political forces and other twists and turns. The monks believe that the reason for this is the favorable location: Saint-Maurice “hugs” against the rock, like a child clinging to its mother. The most great danger However, during the entire existence of the oldest monastery in Western Europe, it came from this very rock, from which fragments broke off seven times, destroying the church located under it. IN last time this happened in the middle of the 20th century, when a huge stone fell on the bell tower, leaving only ruins.

Many times Saint-Maurice was robbed by forest robbers and devastated by devastating fires. It happened that the monastery was flooded by mountain streams, but the monks steadfastly accepted all the troubles, without stopping their service. In 2015, the Great 1500th anniversary was celebrated here, organized with the participation of UNESCO.

A real pearl of Christianity is located on an island off the coast of Normandy in northwestern France. Lock amazing beauty With high towers, going into the sky and reflected in sea ​​water, is an unforgettable picture that more than 4 million tourists from all over the world strive to see every year.

Mont Saint-Michel is translated from French as “Mountain of St. Michael the Archangel.” The unique location means that it can be reached by land only during periods of significant low tide, and the tides cut it off from the mainland, leaving a thin isthmus that not everyone dares to step on. This forces tourists to be extremely careful: Victor Hugo also wrote that the speed of the tide of water is equal to the speed of a galloping horse. For this reason, a huge number of tourists were unable to overcome this path, drowning in the bay.

The history of the origin of the oldest monastery is connected with a beautiful legend: in 708, Archangel Michael appeared to Bishop Saint Aubert of Avranches in a dream with a decree to begin the construction of a monastery on the island. When the bishop woke up, he thought that he might have misunderstood the vision. After the second similar dream he continued to doubt, so Avranches dreamed of the Archangel for the third time, leaving a burn on his head. Immediately after this, the bishop decided to initiate construction.

In the 10th century, the number of pilgrims became so great that for them a building was built at the foot of the monastery. Small town, and the abundance of donations made it possible to collect the necessary amount to erect a huge temple on the top of the mountain. On the territory of Mont Saint-Michel beginning of XIII centuries there lived several hundred regular monks. But gradually the significance of the abbey weakened, and by 1791 monastic life ended here, giving way to a prison that existed until the end of the French Revolution. Since 1873, a large-scale reconstruction began, during which Mont Saint-Michel has a modern appearance. To many, it resembles the castle from the Disney movie screensaver, which for many years has embodied the beauty of medieval castles.

In France there is one of the most beautiful ancient monasteries - Lérins Abbey. It is located at a distance of three kilometers from Cannes, so most tourists visiting Cannes flock here to touch the history of the Middle Ages.

The Lérins Monastery was founded in 410, after a hermit monk settled here in search of solitude. The disciples did not want to leave their spiritual father, so they followed him and founded Lerins Abbey on desert island. By the 8th century, this place had become the most influential region of France and Europe; it owned many properties, not excluding the village of Cannes.

Without decent protection, this place became tasty and easy prey for the Saracens, who plundered the treasury and killed all the monks. Only one of the former residents of the monastery survived - monk Elenter, who rebuilt a new temple on the ruins. After this, the buildings were repeatedly destroyed, but the tenacity of the monks overcame all the troubles. After the French Revolution the island was sold famous actress, where the Gostiny Dvor was located for 20 years. Only in 1859 was Bishop Fréjus able to buy it out to revive the holy place.

Now 25 monks live on the territory of the monastery, who, in addition to spiritual services, are engaged in growing grapes and the hotel business.

The oldest medieval monasteries in Europe