Angela
Elite member
- Messages
- 21,823
- Reaction score
- 12,329
- Points
- 113
- Ethnic group
- Italian
See:
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6099-171115-france-medieval-treasure
The gold coins are probably Crusader loot of some sort.
"LYON, FRANCE—The Local reports that a medieval treasure trove has been found near the Cluny Abbey in eastern France. The excavation team, made up of researchers from the University of Lyon II and France’s National Center for Scientific Research, discovered the cache of twelfth-century coins while looking for the corner of the abbey’s infirmary. Most of the 2,200 silver coins were issued by Cluny Abbey. The 21 gold coins, which had been stored in a canvas bag, originated in the Middle East. Additional gold items include a gold signet ring engraved with the word “Avete,” a Latin greeting, and a folded piece of gold leaf. Team member Vincent Borrel said that in their time, the items discovered would have been able to purchase a six-day supply of bread and wine for the abbey. "
Unfortunately, the only way to appreciate the Benedictine Abbey and its importance to Christendom is to take a "virtual" tour, because idiots at the beginning of the 19th century demolished most of it for building materials. Vandals!
"There can be no getting away from the importance of the Abbey of Cluny in the history of Burgundy. But if you visit this popular site, keep past glories in the forefront of your mind. Only about a tenth of the great monastery of Cluny remains and a visit is rather a 'virtual' tour. The advice of a professional guide is to watch the excellent audio visual presentation when you arrive to set the scene of events....
For it was here in the 12th C that Gregorian chants filled the air. There were grandiose ceremonies, glorified with gold and incense, magnificent paintings and mosaics, and hundreds of Benedictine monks worshipped. They believed that praising God in such a setting was preparation for the life hereafter.
Such was the might of Cluny that it controlled the lives of multi thousands of people in affiliated monasteries throughout Christendom from Scotland to Poland. The abbey was able to start crusades, and punished offenders with excommunication.
The wealth of the monastery was unimaginable and the abbey, Cluny III which resulted from it, was the largest in the world and the pinnacle of Romanesque architecture. Through Divine Office, devotion to the dead was magnified, and all those who associated themselves, through donations, benefited from the perpetual prayers of the monks. All Souls’ Day on November 2nd resulted, still celebrated by the Catholic Church today."
"Cluny III, initiated by St Hugues of Semur (1049-1109) took 40 years to complete. It had five altars, four major steeples, two towers and double aisles. It was the longest building in Christendom until St Peter’s in Rome was rebuilt. The Order of Cluny continued through ups and downs, counting Cardinal Richelieu amongst its abbots. Rome became more powerful, the King of France eroded the powers of the Church and the Revolution finally put an end to Cluny in 1791. The building survived this onslaught but unbelievably, the magnificent abbey was demolished for building materials in the early 19th C. What was left of the monastic buildings became an arts and crafts college, still in existence today."
See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluny_Abbey
The abbots of Cluny had immense influence on Medieval European history.
Here is a virtual recreation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhZG7SjX1Lg
Some more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Deqd47DWb0
Each of the videos is only two minutes long, but it gives you an idea.
It's still very much worth a visit. Lovely area, on top of everything else.
https://www.archaeology.org/news/6099-171115-france-medieval-treasure
The gold coins are probably Crusader loot of some sort.
"LYON, FRANCE—The Local reports that a medieval treasure trove has been found near the Cluny Abbey in eastern France. The excavation team, made up of researchers from the University of Lyon II and France’s National Center for Scientific Research, discovered the cache of twelfth-century coins while looking for the corner of the abbey’s infirmary. Most of the 2,200 silver coins were issued by Cluny Abbey. The 21 gold coins, which had been stored in a canvas bag, originated in the Middle East. Additional gold items include a gold signet ring engraved with the word “Avete,” a Latin greeting, and a folded piece of gold leaf. Team member Vincent Borrel said that in their time, the items discovered would have been able to purchase a six-day supply of bread and wine for the abbey. "
Unfortunately, the only way to appreciate the Benedictine Abbey and its importance to Christendom is to take a "virtual" tour, because idiots at the beginning of the 19th century demolished most of it for building materials. Vandals!
"There can be no getting away from the importance of the Abbey of Cluny in the history of Burgundy. But if you visit this popular site, keep past glories in the forefront of your mind. Only about a tenth of the great monastery of Cluny remains and a visit is rather a 'virtual' tour. The advice of a professional guide is to watch the excellent audio visual presentation when you arrive to set the scene of events....
For it was here in the 12th C that Gregorian chants filled the air. There were grandiose ceremonies, glorified with gold and incense, magnificent paintings and mosaics, and hundreds of Benedictine monks worshipped. They believed that praising God in such a setting was preparation for the life hereafter.
Such was the might of Cluny that it controlled the lives of multi thousands of people in affiliated monasteries throughout Christendom from Scotland to Poland. The abbey was able to start crusades, and punished offenders with excommunication.
The wealth of the monastery was unimaginable and the abbey, Cluny III which resulted from it, was the largest in the world and the pinnacle of Romanesque architecture. Through Divine Office, devotion to the dead was magnified, and all those who associated themselves, through donations, benefited from the perpetual prayers of the monks. All Souls’ Day on November 2nd resulted, still celebrated by the Catholic Church today."
"Cluny III, initiated by St Hugues of Semur (1049-1109) took 40 years to complete. It had five altars, four major steeples, two towers and double aisles. It was the longest building in Christendom until St Peter’s in Rome was rebuilt. The Order of Cluny continued through ups and downs, counting Cardinal Richelieu amongst its abbots. Rome became more powerful, the King of France eroded the powers of the Church and the Revolution finally put an end to Cluny in 1791. The building survived this onslaught but unbelievably, the magnificent abbey was demolished for building materials in the early 19th C. What was left of the monastic buildings became an arts and crafts college, still in existence today."
See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluny_Abbey
The abbots of Cluny had immense influence on Medieval European history.
Here is a virtual recreation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhZG7SjX1Lg
Some more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Deqd47DWb0
Each of the videos is only two minutes long, but it gives you an idea.
It's still very much worth a visit. Lovely area, on top of everything else.