Abbey of Saint-Savin-en-Lavedan

The Abbey of Saint-Savin-en-Lavedan (French: Abbaye de Saint-Savin-en-Lavedan; Latin: [Abbatia] Santi Savini di Bigorra or Santi Savini Levitanensis) was a Benedictine abbey in the commune of Saint-Savin, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. It was one of the most important religious centres in the County of Bigorre. The Romanesque abbey church remains, in use since 1790 as a parish church.

The abbey dates at least from the 10th century, and it was built by order of Charlemagne on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman fortress called Palatium Æmilianum ("Palace of Emilianus").

From no later than the time of the Congregation of St. Maur, the abbey possessed a coat of arms.

According to Pulci's poem Il Morgante maggiore, Roland, protagonist of the Chanson de Roland was in the abbey at some point.

In 841, the abbey was looted and burnt by the Normans, and previously by the Saracens.

In 945, Count Raymond I of Bigorre gave the abbey a generous endowment consisting of a territory known as thePascal de Saint-Savin , which was made of the eight villages of Saint-Savin (Sen Sabi), Castet, Lau (Laou), Balagnas, Adast (Adas), Nestalas, Soulom and Uz; the church of Saint-Jean-de-Saint-Savin became their communal church.

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