Abbey of St Martin, Autun

The Abbey of St. Martin is a former Benedictine monastery in Autun, Saône-et-Loire, France, to the northeast of the city just outside the city walls, on the right bank of the Arroux and to the north of the Roman road from Autun to Langres, Beaune and Besançon.

History
The abbey was founded by Queen Brunhilda and the bishop of Autun, Saint Syagrius, in or around 589. Brunhilda was later buried there. The new foundation was richly decorated and furnished, largely with marbles, mosaics and other items which Brunhilde took from neighbouring Gallo-Roman buildings. The abbey was however largely destroyed in 731 by invading Saracens. It was not rebuilt until 870, and then destroyed again in 880, doubtless by the Normans. It was rebuilt again in 885 by Charles the Fat.

From 1058 it answered directly to the pope rather than to a bishop.

At the latest from the time of this rebuilding, the abbey was also fortified. In 1570, it was pillaged by the troops of Admiral de Coligny, the fortifications having fallen into disrepair. In 1589 the États de Bourgogne refused financial help to Nicolas Brulard, the then commendatory abbot, for the repair of the fortifications. The abbey was deserted soon afterwards and occupied by bandits: once they were expelled the fortifications were dismantled and the abbey left empty.

The vacant and dilapidated premises were taken over by the reformist Congregation of St Maur in 1635 (or 1654 ), who repaired them, but not the fortifications.

The abbey was entirely rebuilt between 1740 and 1752. It was suppressed in the French Revolution and sold off as national property in 1793, to be used as an armaments factory. A few years later it was almost entirely demolished apart from a few service buildings. The city authorities of Autun eventually acquired what remained and undertook restoration in 1976–77. The renovated buildings now operate under the name "Prieuré Saint-Martin" as a local government social centre, with rooms for hire. <!--from the previous translation - needs more work: Queen Brunehaut had the church decorated with mosaics and marble columns, probably from the pagan sanctuary erected on this site and destroyed by Saint Martin of Tours. The basilica contained 44 marble columns and mosaics that Abbé Jean Lebeuf admired during his visit to Autun in 1724. In 1675, there had been sixty-four. These columns had a height of 5.5 m. An arcade, separating the choir from the nave, was supported by two columns and was considered a masterpiece. Large cut stones were linked together by the waist system rather than iron cleats. The high altar was made of marble, and the altarpiece featured a bas-relief depicting Jesus Christ recognized by the two disciples of Emmaus. In the middle of the church was a stone crucifix on a wooden cross; above the head of Christ a hand came out of a cloud, holding a jewelled crown. Legend states that Odon de Cluny praying before him, fell into a state of ecstasy and levitated three cubits above ground for an hour and that the head of Christ leaned towards him. History attracted many pilgrims until the French Revolution of 1789.

Mutilated by the Calvinists, the abbey was restored in 1640. It was the object of veneration and was attributed many miracles, some of which were recounted and made official in the Charter one hundred and sixty-four from 1646 to 1680, as well as the Charter one hundred and sixty-five certifying by notary the healing of the son of the Marquess of Capelle-Biron in 1677. The abbey was represented on a painting in 1664 which was placed in the Chapel of the Great Crucifix at the Cathedral of Autun. It was reproduced and engraved in large quanitities. This crucifix remained in the church of Saint-Martin d'Autun until around 1795, when, the abbey become factory of carts of guns, at which time it was unhooked. The wood became worm-eaten, and the stone Christ was smashed on the ground. He is today exposed to the parish church of Saint-Symphorien in Saint-Pantaléon, as well as the painting of the cathedral.

The Abbey is visible on a map of 1658. Michelangelo Caritie, in charge of the reconstruction, preserved the two square towers which framed the large entrance and kept the original walls on 4 m of height. He also kept the low parts strong enough to read.

Abbots
NB - this list was taken unexamined from the fr:Wiki article and is useless, as it has been unsystematically augmented - ORIGINALRESEARCH - by names of priors taken from charters
 * 602 — Loup or Lupo, priest and first abbot to whom Gregory the Great addressed the privilege of the abbey. The date of his death is recorded as 15 October, without the year.
 * 650 — Heroald
 * 680–700 — Saint Mederic
 * 700–725 — Frodulphe, disciple of Saint Mederic
 * c. 850 — Count Badilon
 * c. 860 — Arnulf
 * c. 877 — Badilon, son of predecessor
 * 885 — Gregorius
 * no dates — David
 * 900 — Aymon I
 * 924 — Hugues I
 * 949 — Humbert
 * no dates — Odidoard
 * no dates — Simon
 * no dates — Giso
 * c. 974 — Walter
 * no dates — André
 * 1000 — Hildegrin
 * 1034 — Osald
 * no dates — Geoffroy I
 * 1055 — Aymon II
 * no dates — Theotard
 * 1058 — Geoffroi II
 * 1064 — Aymon III
 * 1099 — Hugues II (also the year of his death)
 * 1100 — Bernard I
 * no dates — Lambert
 * no dates — Nicolas
 * no dates — Philippe
 * no dates — Seguin
 * 1148 — Walther II
 * 1161 — Bernard II
 * 1164 — Guillaume I (formerly prior under Bernard)
 * 1176 — Achard, or Othard
 * 1188 — Hugues III
 * 1190 — Geoffroy II
 * 1198 — Hugues IV
 * 1223 — Guy I
 * 1225 — Guillaume II (died 1226)
 * 1226 — Willelm / Guillelm (still in post in 1236)
 * 1265 — Michel de Meursault (blessed in 1267 by the Bishop of Nevers, Robert II de Marzy, at the request of Pope Clement IV, as the Bishop of Autun, Girard de La Roche de Beauvoir, had refused to give the blessing)
 * 1280 — Pierre
 * 1292 — Hugues de Communes or Commines
 * 1295 — Guillaume de Fontangy (abbot or prior)
 * 1299 — Hugues
 * 1317 — Raynaud
 * 1318 — Bonneau
 * 1326 — Jean I de Marigny
 * 1342 — Geoffroy III de Chaumont (died the same year)
 * 1342 — Pierre de Faisto (Feste?)
 * 1347 — Geoffroy
 * 1361 — Jean II Bruley
 * 1368 — Alexandre
 * no date — Guillaume de Vienne
 * 1383 — Guy II d'Agland
 * 1392 — Jean III de Gomen
 * 1420–1433 — Guillaume III du Bois de la Tour du Bost
 * 1433–1442 — Jean Petitjean

Commendatory abbots

 * 1442–1481 — Jean V Rolin, cardinal
 * 1481 — Jean VI Rolin, illegitimate son of the preceding
 * c. 1482 — Tristan de Salazar
 * c. 1500 — Jean de Salazar (died 1518), nephew of Tristan de Salazar and former prior of the Priory of Saint-Hilaire, Commagny
 * 1518 — Jean VIII Huraut
 * 1529 — Robert Huraut, still in charge in 1547
 * Vacant
 * 1570 — Guillaume de Tintry; refused to leave the abbey and was killed by the Calvinist soldiers of Admiral de Coligny on 29 June 1570, aged 90
 * 1589–1597 — Nicolas II Brulard de Crosne, died 12 or 14 November 1597
 * 1595 — Florent de Montmorillon, Grand Prior and Prior of Saint-Roch
 * 1615 — Antoine Boucher
 * 1623 — Pierre II Brulard de Crosne, resigned that year
 * 1624 — Nicolas III de Castille. He proceeded with the opening of the tomb of Queen Brunehaut on 25 August, 1632, to ensure it contained the remains of the queen (Charter no. 163)
 * 1652 — Henri de Castille
 * 1674 — René Bonneau
 * 1708 — Edme Mongin
 * 1746 — Gabriel Cortois de Quincey
 * 1789 — Dom Forneron, solicitor of St Martin d'Autun
 * 1790 — Don François Patenaille, prior-

People Associated with the Monastery
Religious and lay people associated with the Abbey include: Jean du Verne, Grand-Prieur — Luzy Ferry, sub-prior — Jean Bouquillot, cameraman — Jean de Cussigny Jr, nurse — Jacob Soyer — Antoine de Charence — Jean Saulnier — Jean Lafleur — Josserand de Villeneuve — Jacob Grosbois — Jean de Saint-Roman — Antoine Cadot-->
 * 880 — Bernon (d. 927) ruled 6 monasteries
 * 890 — Saint Odon of Cluny or Eudes (879–942), who later became the second abbot of Cluny (927-942)
 * 1220 — Étienne de Vautheau, son of Hugues de Vautheau
 * 1275 — Pierre de La Roche, monk of Saint-Martin, bases his birthday (Charter no. 84 of 1275)
 * 1284 — Girard d'Aligny, said Besort, a novice at the monastery, his brothers gathered at the abbey, constituted for his part inheritance of the family patrimony, either he became religious, or he remained secular, a rent of eight pounds, his life. They also committed themselves to the abbey, to a perpetual alms of 20 sous, and assigned the whole to the mill and the pond of Chamcomeaul, to the parish of Aligny. (Alligny-en-Morvan)
 * 1318 — Symon of Barbirey, monk, prosecutor of the abbot and convent charged with the rights of the religious on the sellers of salt, meat (cooked or raw), sold at the fairs of St André and St Martin
 * 1326 — Richart de Montreal, monk, attorney, attorney in the transaction with the lord of Monestoy, February 9, 1326, signed this act also Haymonin de Saudon, monk of St Martin d'Autun
 * 1333 — Hugues de Roussillon, founded the chapel of Saint-Antoine and chose it as a burial place
 * 1334 — Guillaume de Stabule, sub-prior — Hugues de Saint-Helene, to be a cameraman — Gaudefroy de Chenetes, nurse — Guillem de Hedua, sacristan.
 * 1336 — List (Charter no. 114)
 * 1348 — Pierre de Fontaines, monk, foundation of his obit (Charter 124)
 * 1357 — Dom Jean of Jantes. (Charter 133)
 * 1378 — Dom Jouvence, to camérier, signed the (Charter 135)
 * 1382 — Pierre du Fraigne, vicar general of the abbot
 * 1385 — Perrin Troux, prosecutor of the abbey (Charter 138)
 * 1386 — Jacque Legras, monk and prosecutor of the abbey (Charter 139)
 * 1402 — Étienne de Raigny, Bragny — Louis de Charency, sub-prior (present in 1411) — Colin du Feu, cantor — Estienne de Chissey — Jean Poterat — Antoine de Charency, Jean de Dinay; all religious (Charter 145)
 * 1451 — Claude de Voille, sacristan co-signatory of the charter of hunting rights to the inhabitants of Girolles. (Charter 152)
 * 1457 — Louis de Montjournaut, religious, promoted to the sacristan of the Prieuré d'Anzy (Charter 153)
 * 1463 — Claude de Voilles, sacristan of the monastery, delegate to take possession of the church of the priory and all its dependencies as part of the unification of the Priory of Saint-Martin from Thil-sur-Arroux to the Abbey of St Martin d'Autun, April 18th. (Charter no. II, supplement of 1475)