Cluny Abbey
The Benedictine Abbey of Cluny
This magnificent former Benedictine Abbey was dedicated to Saint Peter and the Romanesque church built in the 12th Century on the site of an earlier original church was actually bigger that St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Cluny was founded by Duke William the Younger of Aquitaine in the early 10th Century and Berno of Gigny became the first Abbot answerable only to the Pope. The Abbey was renowned for its strict adherence to the Rule of St Benedict, i.e. the three vows of stability, fidelity to the monastic way of life and obedience. Because of this it was acknowledged as the leader of monasticism in Europe.
The Abbey survived till 1790 when it was destroyed during the Revolution. Some of the original structure can still be seen: the ‘Holy Water’ Bell Tower and the Tour d’Horlage (Clock Tower), the south arm of the great transept with two chapels and an octagonal vault, the Farinier (Flour Store) and the restored Abbey buildings.
The town of Cluny has some some interesting old buildings and is well worth exploring when you visit the Abbey.