Abbey of Remiremont
| Imperial Abbey of Remiremont | ||||||||||
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Abbaye impériale de Remiremont (fr) Reichskloster Romberg (de) |
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| Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire | ||||||||||
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| Capital | Remiremont Abbey | |||||||||
| Government | Principality | |||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | |||||||||
| • | Abbey founded | 620 | ||||||||
| • | Became Reichsfrei | 1290 | ||||||||
| • | War of the Escutcheons |
1566 |
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| • | Disestablished | 1790 | ||||||||
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Remiremont Abbey was an abbey that was founded as a house of nuns near Remiremont, Vosges, France. It later became a community of secular canonesses.
It was founded about 620 by Romaric (580–653), a lord at the court of Chlothar II, who, having been converted by Saint Ame (570–625), a monk of Luxeuil, took the habit at Luxeuil. Together they established a double monastery on Saint-Mont (Mount Haberd), overlooking the Moselle valley. They followed the Rule of St. Columbanus and practiced the "Laus perennis", the continuous chanting of the Office by alternating choirs. Among the abbots were St Ame, St Romaric, and St Adelphus (d. 670). Among the abbesses were Sts Mactefelda (d. ca 622), Claire (d. ca 652) and Gébétrude (d. ca 673). Around 640, Bishop Arnulf of Metz, progenitor of the Arnulfing and Carolingian dynasty, died near Habendum, and was buried in the monastery until his remains were later translated to Metz Cathedral.
The men's monastery disappeared perhaps during the 9th century. Around 818, the nuns adopted the more flexible Rule of St. Benedict and settled in the Moselle valley below. They kept the name of the founder, Romarici Mons (Romaric’s mount) which later became "Remiremont". A market town grew around the monastery. In the Middle Ages, its estate was the largest in the region.
Gradually, the women at Remiremont stopped following the Benedictine rule and became secular canonesses, who did not take perpetual vows, and were free to resign their prebendary and marry. Remiremont was very exclusive. Canonesses were admitted from those who could give proof of 200 years of noble descent. Enriched by the Dukes of Lorraine, the kings of France and the Holy Roman Emperors, the ladies of Remiremont attained great power. The canonesses lived independently within the abbey with their own circle of friends and servants. As prebends, they each received a share of the abbey's considerable income to dispose of as they wished, and could leave to visit family, sometimes for months at a time.
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