ABBAYE DE LÉRINS

Around 405, when Saint Honorat, a young Gallo-Roman patrician, arrived on the islands with a few companions, including Saint Caprais, they were deserted. Honorat soon attracted a number of followers and built a monastery and church. By the time he became Archbishop of Arles in 428, the monastery had become one of the most famous in the West. During the first two centuries of its history, Lérins saw an influx of illustrious monks, most of them from noble backgrounds, such as Saint Hilaire, Saint Faust and Saint Eucher. In the ^7th century, Saint Aygulphe established the rule of Saint Benedict. In 731, the monks and their abbot were massacred by the Saracens. By the end of the ^10th century, the monastery was Cluniac in style. The fortified buildings are still visible today. Pilgrimages to Saint Honorat developed from the ^12th century onwards. The Commende regime in the ^mid-15th century marked the decline of the abbey. Only four monks remained when the Pope secularized the abbey in 1787. In 1859, Bishop Jordany of Fréjus bought the island and restored monastic life. The first monks arrived in 1869. Since then, Lérins has become the seat of the Cistercian congregation of the Immaculate Conception, founded by Dom Barnouin, and boasts an abbey in Canada, two in France, as well as a house in Vietnam and Italy. The community is home to monks of many different nationalities. Retreats are open to men, women and couples. Some services are open to day visitors.

Offices: Lauds at 7:45 am, tierce at 9:45 am, mass at 11:25 am Tuesday to Saturday and 9:50 am Sunday, sext at 12:35 pm Tuesday to Sunday, none at 2:30 pm Tuesday to Saturday and 2:45 pm Sunday, vespers at 6 pm weekdays and 5:45 pm Sunday.

Accommodation: single and double rooms (including one adapted for PRM), capacity 30 people. Full board. Shared or individual sanitary facilities. Bed linen and towels not provided. No cell phones inside the monastery. Minimum stay 3 days, maximum stay one week. Participation in services requested. Young people welcome. Groups: catering, meeting rooms (up to 100 people).

Store: open daily from 10am to 12:30pm and from 1:30pm to 5pm. Sale of wines and liqueurs from the monastery's vineyards. Delivery available (online store).

Visits: guided tours (three different routes) and tastings organized for groups, by prior arrangement.