Back when La Verrière was a priory in Medieval times, it was a dependency of the local Abbaye de Prebayon and the Abbey’s ruins are now a beautiful place to visit as part of a scenic walk through picturesque woodlands from La Verrière. We did that walk recently and were struck not just by the beauty and peace of the place but also by the depth of the history surrounding it. It is impossible to walk around the site and not wonder about the lives of the people who lived there throughout the years. As such, here is some information about the history of Abbaye de Prebayon, the first female abbey in Vaucluse.
Humble Beginnings
In 611, at the request of the would-be Abbess of Prebayon, a woman called Germilie, a relative of Radegonde, a Thuringian princess turned Queen by marriage, who went on to become a nun herself, asked permission to set up an abbey at Prebayon. The Abbess took five noblewomen with her to found the Abbey and, within three years, she had increased the number of nuns to 18. These nuns followed the strict rule of Césaire d'Arles which involved nuns sharing cells and clothes as well as carrying out regular fasts. Their order survived for hundreds of years despite Saracen raids which resulted in the Abbey being destroyed and rebuilt in 850 until, in 1145, the nuns became part of the Carthusian order which offered a slightly less strict way of life. The Abbey was eventually abandoned in 1228 when a huge flood decimated the area. Surviving nuns relocated to the banks of the Ouvèze where they appear to have thrived for quite some time.
Devilish Legend
A, quite frankly, rather mean legend exists about the nuns of the Abbaye de Prebayon and a bridge that was built across the Trignon supposedly by the Devil. The tale goes that the Devil appeared to the Abbess in the form of a Bishop and told her that he would build a stone bridge to allow access across the river to their Abbey because he felt sorry for them in their solitude. He said he would do this in one night if they would promise their “fidelity, obedience and allegiance” to him. Obviously, this being the Devil and these sorts of legends tending toward the lurid, the Devil then proceeds to invite his demons to join him in cavorting with these nuns until God was so appalled by what he saw happening that he caused the Trignon to flood and wash them all away; demons, nuns, Abbey and all. The bridge, however, is still there to this day.
The Area Today
Despite the devastating flood of 1228, whether caused by Divine retribution or not, ruins of the Abbey still remain between the towns of Sablet and Séguret in the midst of a rich wine country. Visitors wishing to see the ruins, and that supposedly devilish bridge now called ‘Pont du Diable’, need to get there by foot. As we said at the start, we undertook this walk recently and it was very pleasant indeed to walk there from La Verrière. For people interested in monasteries, monks and nuns, there is a rich history in the area with La Verrière itself starting life as a priory. There are also a great many stories about the role monks and nuns had in establishing the extensive winemaking in the area.
History is so important to us at La Verrière and visitors can not only hear the stories we can tell about the local history and how so many wonderful vineyards were established, we can also hire in local tour guides and historians to take you on walks such as the one we went on to Abbaye de Prebayon to truly immerse you in the rich history of this wonderful region.
To book your stay at La Verrière or for any information, please call +33 4 90 10 06 32 in France or +44 (0) 7775 682090 in the UK or email reservations@laverriere.com.
