SAINT-HILAIRE ABBEY
Benedictine abbey with an abbey church, a gothic cloister and a dwelling, an address full of history in Saint-Hilaire.
Located about 15 km south of Carcassonne, the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire appears for the first time in the 9th century. Although its origins remain unclear, it may have been founded as early as the 6th century, when it was dedicated to Saint Sernin of Toulouse. The Gothic cloister, from the 14th century, serves the church, the abbot's residence with a superb painted ceiling from the beginning of the 15th century and the monks' refectory. The chevet of the church is in Romanesque style, and the nave, unfinished, should have been extended to the west. The main piece of furniture is a Romanesque sarcophagus called "Saint-Saturnin", made of white marble and sculpted by the Master of Cabestany. This piece dates from the 12th century, and although it is called a sarcophagus, its dimensions suggest that it was the main altar of the church. In the heart of the cloister, a well and a pretty fountain with a basin date from the 16th century. The abbey also has many outbuildings, including cellars dug and built into the rock. You can also discover the fortified part of the abbey, witness to the troubled times of famines, diseases and invasions. The burial place of the Viscounts of Carcassonne, Saint-Hilaire is also, according to local tradition, the birthplace of Blanquette, a sparkling white wine that the monks invented in 1531. With its rich history and architecture, this abbey is a site not to be missed in the Aude. 1h30 guided tours are offered all summer.
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