Pairis Abbey, Cistercian abbey in Orbey, France.
Pairis Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the hamlet of Pairis, at about 700 m altitude in the Noirupt valley near Orbey, Haut-Rhin. Of the medieval complex only the 17th-century porch and a section of the enclosing wall remain, listed as a monument historique since 28 June 1929. The site now houses the main legal seat of the Hôpital Intercommunal du Canton Vert, a nursing home since 1 January 2010.
Founded in 1138 by Count Ulrich of Ferrette on land of the counts of Eguisheim, Pairis was settled by monks from Lucelle Abbey. It was pillaged by the French in 1356 and by the Armagnacs in 1444, sacked by rebellious peasants in 1525, and united as a priory to Maulbronn Abbey in 1452. After Maulbronn passed to Protestant Württemberg in 1648, the Cistercians re-established Pairis, which was suppressed in 1790 during the French Revolution.
The hamlet of Pairis lies at about 700 m altitude on the road out of Orbey toward Lac Blanc. The abbey's wine estates shaped local culture: from 1328 it held the vines called "Zem Kefersberg", today the Kaefferkopf of Ammerschwihr, and from 1464 the Bouxhof at Mittelwihr, where a chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara was enlarged in 1507.
The site is visible from outside, but access to the interior is limited since it now operates as a nursing home for residents. It is best to inquire ahead about visiting possibilities, as public access to the buildings and grounds may be restricted depending on current use.
The abbey's surviving 17th-century porch and enclosure wall are all that remain of the monastic complex; the rest now forms part of a nursing home. The site has been listed as a monument historique since 28 June 1929.
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