Abbaye de l'Escaladieu, Haute-Pyrénées
Gardens of the ancient cloisters, Escaladieu Abbey, France (photo: Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées).
Abbaye de l'Escaladieu (Escaladieu Abbey) was founded in 1142 when Cistercian monks left the monastery at Capadur to found their own abbey. Escaladieu Abbey was built at the confluence of the Luz and Arros rivers near the castle of Mauvezin.
The abbey flourished from the 12th to 14th centuries. It served as the burial place for the counts of Bigorre and was a stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago.
Escaladieu Abbey was built in the simple Romanesque-Cistercian style. The cloister included a sacristy, refectory, kitchen, and scriptorium. It was closed around 1830.
All the east buildings of the Escaladieu Abbey remain intact, including the 12th-century chapter house, where the monks gathered to read the rule of St. Benoit, and the scriptorium, where they copied and illuminated manuscripts.
The nave of the abbey had six bays, one of which was destroyed during the 16th-century Wars of Religion.
The abbey has been owned by the Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées since 1997. It is open to visitors and is used for conferences and special events.
| Phone: | 05 62 39 16 97 |
| Hours: | Oct-Apr: Daily 10-noon and 2-5pm. Closed Tuesdays. May-Sept: Daily 10-1 and 2-7pm |
- L'Escaladieu - Conseil Général des Hautes-Pyrénées (French only)
