Maillezais Abbey
| Maillezais Cathedral | |
|---|---|
Ruins at the site of the former Maillezais Abbey and Cathedral
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Maillezais, Pays de la Loire, France |
| Geographic coordinates | 46°22′24″N 0°44′51″W / 46.3733°N 0.7475°WCoordinates: 46°22′24″N 0°44′51″W / 46.3733°N 0.7475°W |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Diocese of Maillezais |
| Country | France |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Non-functional |
| Status | In ruins |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Abbey church |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance |
| Groundbreaking | 11th century |
| Completed | 15th century |
| Official name: Ancienne abbaye Saint-Pierre | |
| Designated | 30 January 1924 |
Maillezais Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Maillezais, or St. Peter Maillezais) is a ruined Roman Catholic church in the commune of Maillezais in the Vendée, France. Formerly the site of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre, the site grew from the 10th century abbey to the cathedral completed in the 15th century, with the many structures at the site abandoned by the end of the 17th century. Today's ruins consist of a cathedral, refectory, dormitory, kitchen, cellars, turrets and ramparts. The cathedral has been declared a heritage monument in reflection of its Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance form. It was designated a monument historique on 30 January 1924. The cathedral belonged to the Diocese of Luçon, with Roman Rites, and with St. Peter as the patron saint.
Around 1100, Abbot Pierre wrote two books on the founding and construction of the Abbey of Maillezais. The Abbot Pierre's account tells that during a hunting expedition in 976, Countess Emma, the wife of William IV, Duke of Aquitaine, discovered the ruins of a chapel dedicated to Saint Hilaire and decided to found an abbey at the site. The couple contributed to the structure's rebuilding and it became an important monastery in the Pays de la Loire. The new church was consecrated in 989 by Gombald, Archbishop of Bordeaux.
Father Gausbert, cousin of Countess Emma, brought thirteen monks from Église Saint-Julien de Tours to create a Benedictine abbey, first settling in Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux, Vendée, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the current ruins. The abbey's jurisdiction later passed from Église Saint-Julien de Tours to Église Saint-Cyprien in Poitiers. In 1010, the Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux abbey moved to Maillezais, with groundbreaking for a new Maillezais chapel, still dedicated to Saint Pierre (St. Peter), soon after. William V, Duke of Aquitaine was buried at the abbey's cloister in 1030. His sons Guillaume and Eudes, chose to be buried in Maillezais as well.
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