Micy, Benedictine abbey in Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin, France
Micy is a former Benedictine abbey located where the Loire and Loiret rivers meet, in Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin. The monastic complex once contained two main buildings and a church dedicated to Saint Stephen, though no original structures survive today.
King Clovis I granted the land to Euspicius, an archpriest from Verdun, who founded the monastery in 508 with his nephew Mesmin. The early community followed Eastern hermit practices until around 788, when Charlemagne's reforms introduced Benedictine rules from Aniane.
The large stone cross standing on the grounds serves as a visual reminder of monastic life and marks where the community once lived and worshipped. This monument connects visitors today with the spiritual continuity that the site has maintained over centuries.
The original buildings are gone, but a ten-meter stone cross constructed in 1858 from materials salvaged from the former abbey clearly marks the location. The site sits at the meeting point of two rivers, making it relatively easy to locate and visit.
The Carmel of Orleans relocated to these grounds in 1939 and continues to maintain an active religious presence at the historical location. This ongoing spiritual community connects the distant past with present-day monastic life in the same place.
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