Lagrasse Abbey, Benedictine monastery in Lagrasse, France
Lagrasse Abbey is a Benedictine monastery spread across both sides of the Orbieu River, featuring an octagonal bell tower. The complex divides into two separate areas: a public medieval section and a private canonical section with different access points.
The monastery was founded in the 7th century and received official recognition in 779 through donations from local nobility. These early contributions shaped the site's growth into an important religious center in the region.
The public section displays a collection of stone carvings and architectural fragments from different construction periods that reveal how local builders and monks worked over time. Walking through these rooms shows how the site evolved through the tastes and needs of each generation.
Visitors need to navigate between the public medieval section and the private canonical section, as each has separate entrances and visiting arrangements. It helps to clarify ahead which areas are accessible and how to reach each part of the complex.
Since 2004, a community of Canons Regular performs daily Gregorian chants following pre-Vatican II Roman rites in the abbey church. This tradition makes the site one of the few places where visitors can regularly hear this historical form of liturgical music.
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