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Commune |
Moulin
Souvigny
St Menoux |
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Moulins - Musée
Anne de Beaujeu |
Entry: €5.00. Modern, well laid out
museum. Photography allowed. Park nearby - free but limited to 1
hour. May be long stay parking elsewhere
Ref: 46°34.01'N, 3°19.79'E |
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Pierre II de Brosse (1345-1422),
Lord of Huriel, Boursac. Limstone XV Century |
Note: There is a very fine 17th century St Joseph's Chapel in Moulins
which contains the mausoleum of
Henry, 2nd Duke of Montmorency. He led a rebellion against
the leadership of
Cardinal Richelieu and was sentenced to death by
King Louis
XIII. The only concession the King would accept was that the
execution would be in private. He was executed in 1632 as a
traitor, thus ending dukedom.
Opening times are restricted: contact the tourist office a
Moulins at 04 70 44 44 14 |
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Souvigny |
A very pleasant town to visit. Plenty of free
parking. The museum is next to the priory.
Ref: 46°32.12N, 03°11.62E |
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Musée & Jardin
de Savigny |
Entrance €4.00. Modern, pleasant museum with
medieval gardens. Limited opening hours so check website.
Photography allowed |
Above left top and centre:
Marie
de Hainhault (1357) Wife of Louis, 1st Duke of Bourbon,
himself the son of Robert de Clermont (sixth son of St Louis)
and Béatrix, Countess of Bourbon. In the tradition of the wives
of the Dukes of Bourbon, she was buried in the Church of the
Cordeliers of Champigue. In 1860 the effigy was moved to the
Church at Sauvigny and later moved to the museum.
Above left bottom and far right: Thought to be Duke
John I, Duke of Bourbon. This is said not to
be an actual monumental effigy; marble, found at the
Château of Bost and Besson. He was the son
of Louis II, Duke of Bourbon and Anne, of Auvergne. In
1404 he was named as captain-general of Languedoc. He was
initially a supporter of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy,
but, following the murder of Louis, Duke of Orleans in 1407 he
supported the Armagnacs against he Burgundians. The
French-Burgundian Civil War is explained
here. He was
captured at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and imprisoned in
London; he remained a captive until his death in 1434, despite
payments of ransoms and his promise to support the English king
against the French. During his captivity he delegated the
administration of his estates to his wife, Marie of Berry, until
the majority of their son, Charles I.
Below: Fragment of tomb chest of Béatrix of Bourbon, mother
of Louis, 1st Duke of Bourbon
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Les Codeliers of Champaigue |
The Convent of the Cordeliers
(Franciscans) was founded at Champaigue around 1258, about three kilometers
north of Souvigny. It was never a large community, there being
only nine brothers at the start of the 16th century. Today is
largely destroyed but it contained many tombs of the Bourbons.
The convent was a place of refuge for those considered
degenerate or suffering from mental illness or those their
families wished to set aside.
The medieval buildings have been mostly destroyed, there now
only remaining one wing of the 17th century. The remains were
sold as a national property and are now the centre of farm land.
The Bourbons would have had close ties with the Franciscans who,
in the middle ages, were second in importance only to the
Benedictine Order.
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Souvigny Priory |
The church is open during normal hours.
There is no entrance charge and photography is permitted.
The two knight/lady monuments are in locked chapels so difficult
to phortograph adequately. There was no one around to ask to
unlock these chapels. I understand they are being refurbished |
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Charles I
(1401-156), Duke of Bourbon (1434-1456)
Marble. Commissioned by deceased from Jacques Morrel (1453)
And his wife, Agnes de Bourgogne. Marble.
Commission by her husband from Jacques Morrel (1453).
The monument was damaged during the Revolution. The
effigies rest on the same tomb chest and in the vault below rest
the following Dukes of Bourbon: John II, Duke of Bourbon (1488), son of
the above; their grandson, Peter II, Duke of Bourbon (1503); the
latter's wife, Anne of Beaujeu, Regent of France (1522); the
daughter of the latter, Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon (1521) and
wife of the Constable of Bourbon; Louise Marie de Bourbon
(1681), illegitimate daughter of King Louis XIV. More recently,
Sixtus de Bourbon-Palme (1934).
Epitaph in French
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Louis II, Duke
of Bourbon (1337-1400) and his wife, Anne of
Albon (1358-1417). They lie on a single tomb chest of
1410. Limestone. The monuments were damaged in the Revolution. |
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Left: St Mayeul de
Cluny (c. 910-994)
Right: St. Odilon de Mercœur
(962-1048)
Both died at Souvigny
Both abbots of Cluny. Limestone XIII C. Destroyed at the
Revolution, but reconstructed following discovery of fragments
during excavations.
The based was constructed in 2008.
Below is an old burial crypt, a former place of pilgrimage.
Far right is a 15th century reliquary cupboard which
contains the relicts of these two abbots. |
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Above top: Sarcopagus
of St Menoux (7th century) Pink, yellow, and
purple sandstone. This is in the choir behind the altar. (see below)
Bottom: left: Dame Madame Marie Gabrielle du
Boulay (1695) Brass plate now set on wall of the porch
(see below). Centre: Sarcopagi, now in porch.
Right: Madame Henriette de Livychar (1713)
Stone tablet. Worn so uncertain. |
The
Débredinoire of Saint Menoux |
Menoux, said to be Bishop
of Quimper, according to a 7th century legend, settled in St
Menoux towards the end of his life, after returning from a
pilgrimage to Rome. He gained a reputation as a healer and
miracle worker and was aided by a village 'simpleton' called
Blaise. When Menoux died, Blaise refused to leave his former
master and laid down on his sarcophagus. In due course he was
able to honour Menoux by cutting a orifice in the sarcophagus,
with help of the local priest, in which he could place his head
so being closer to his master's body. It is said that Blaise
grew progressively wiser by this act.
The reputation of the now Saint Menoux grew and pilgrims would
visit his sarcophagus to insert their heads in the orifice: this
made the simple wiser, like Blaise, reduced disturbed minds, and
even cured a simple headache.
The four rosette shaped holes (two on either side) are said to have been cut into the
sarcophagus by the priest as late as 1940 so that pilgrims could
see the remains of the Saint.
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Dame Madame Marie Gabrielle de
Boulay |
The plate is written in French of
the 17th century and has become illegible in a few places.
Dame du Boulay was born in 1642 and became a professed nun of the
Order of St Benedict, entering the Abbey in 1658, at the age of
16. She was elected Abbess in 1678 and is said to have governed
well; under her charge many restorations were carried out both
inside and outside of the Abbey. She died in 1695.
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There are no other gisants listed in this department, but may well be
other monuments |