Abbey church of Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye

The abbey church is the church of the Abbey of Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye in the village of Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye, Isère, France. The abbey church was listed as a historical monument in 1840 by Prosper Mérimée.

In the 11th century, the relics of Saint Anthony the Great were deposited in the church of La Motte-aux-Bois, located on the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle. Little by little, pilgrims flocked in, attracted by the saint's reputation as a healer. In 1280, the construction of a Gothic church began, a church that would last 200 years (until the end of the 15th century). In 1337, the construction of the great church resumed after a break of more than 47 years, thanks to a bequest from his brother Ponce Mitte which enabled the chevet to be completed around 1342. This explains the change of style in the church from the triumphal arch. Construction continued steadily along the entire length of the building towards the façade. Work on the last two bays of the nave and the side aisles were carried out between 1343 and 1362. The fourth bay of the nave was built between 1389 and 1417. In 1400, the vaulting of the nave began. Wall paintings are made in the church. The oldest mention of a painted decoration dates from 1383. The second chapel to the north was founded by the Abbot Gérenton de Châteauneuf, around 1400. There is a set of mural paintings where Saint Christopher is depicted on the west wall, and on the east side a Crucifixion with the donor presented by Saint Anthony with Saint Michael, weigher of souls, whose balance leans to the right, on the side of bad deeds. Above are depicted scenes from the life of Saint Anthony and the hermit Saint Paul. Jean Robert, architect of the castle of Tarascon, was architect of the great church in 1419. The architecture of the nave shows that the work on the nave suffered a halt at the third span. The last three spans were probably built under Abbot Humbert de Brion, elected in 1438, whose coat of arms can be seen on the keystone. A fire destroyed the bell tower and the roof made in 1422. The penultimate northern buttress was built in 1428. A sculptor from Avignon, Antoine Le Moiturier, worked in the abbey b

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).