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Private surroundings for rich and abundant sculptures
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The melancholy charms of these ruins, the Cistercian serenity of their profound solitude immediately captivates visitors. (Claire Richard)
Villelongue's originality comes from its abundant sculpted decoration representing allegorical figures such as: griffon, owl, cock, lion, monk ... and also representations of the devil.
The romantic ruins include the refectory, the cloister, the chapter house and the abbey church of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. (the lay friars' storeroom and the sacristy can be visited if you ask). The cloister is sumptuously decorated with leaves, flowers and, quite surprisingly for Cistercians, animals and human figures, contrary to the refectory, a wide room which reflects the rigour of the early Cistercian movement. The chapter room is intact and has a beautiful ribbed ceiling. It was built at the end of the 12th century.
The abbey church is mostly in ruins: only the last section of the nave and collateral bays, the transept and the choir are still standing. The upper part was razed during the 14th century.
Contained within the curtain wall, the wonderful gardens of this fortified abbey add to the charm of the place. Inside, the dovecote, the fishpond and its water supply system are still in place. The fishpond, supplied with fresh water from the Vernassonne river, was used for breeding the tench and carp necessary for the lean meals on Fridays; during the first century of the Cistercian Order, the monks were vegetarians. The fishpond is still in working order and has been since the 12th century! The garden is now magnificently planted with flowers and with a superb collection of colourful gourds and pumpkins.
In the village, as well as the two 14th century towers, you can see the « Cruzels ». These caves, dug under the village, are the only troglodyte dwellings in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
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Abbaye de Villelongue
11 170 Saint-Martin-Le-Viel
phone/fax: ( +0033) 04.68.24 90 38
Site : www.abbaye-de-villelongue.com
Take the motorway direction Toulouse, exit Bram, National road N113 in direction of Toulouse, Pezens, Montolieu
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