Photos

Here are the ruins of La Sauve-Majeure abbey. They are in the village of La Sauve, between Bordeaux and Bergerac, in the middle of Entre-Deux-Mers (Between Two Seas) vineyard, a vineyard area east of Bordeaux city, between Dordogne and Garonne rivers. The abbey was founded in 1079 by abbey Gerard of Corbie (Saint Gerard), supported by duke Guillaume 8th of Aquitaine. The abbey was built in the middle of a forest called Silva Major, that gave its name to the village and the abbey. The abbey was on the Saint James way and had a very fast growth in Middle Age. It was very powerful, it had a lot priories, some in England, and the village around the abbey was as big as Bordeaux city at that time ! To its apogee, the abbey hosted around 300 benedictine monks. From the 15th century and Hundred Year's War, the abbey declined slowly. A storm in 1665 and an earthquake in 1759 caused serious damages to the abbey. After French Revolution the abbey was used as a prison, then as a quarry. The stones were used to build Pont de Pierre (Stone Bridge) in Bordeaux city, many buildings in the villages around or ... roads ! In 1837 the abbey was changed to a college then to a teachers school. A fire destroyed the abbey in 1910 and it was abandonned. In 1960 the French State bought the abbey and the Ministery of Culture started serious strengthening works. In december 1998 it was filed as UNESCO World Heritage Site as a building on Saint James way.

The abbey is an interesting mix of roman and gothic styles. It is famous for the many unspoiled sculptures that decorate column heads. These sculptures are like book that tell Bible and mythology subjects such as sirens, centaurs, basils, Abraham sacrifice, Adam and Eve, etc ... Entry of the site payable (7 euros) but is free on first sunday of any month from october to may.

The picture was token on early evening. The sun was about to fall down on the horizon, giving a very soft light that fitted very well with majestic atmosphere that comes from this kind of places !