St. Gilles-du-Gard - Abbey

The immense portal of the former benedictine monastry St. Gilles, founded within the 7th century. A hermit of noble, greek descendance (later St. Gilles) lived here - with a hind. After Visigothic King Wamba had injured this hind during a hunt (other legends tell, he injured St. Gilles himself) Wamba founded a monastry - and St. Gilles was the first abbot there. St. Gilles was one of the most popular saints in the middle ages, pilgrims flocked to his tomb in the crypt of this church - and continued to Santiago from here. St. Gilles today is still one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

During the Wars of Religion the abbey and the church were totally destroyed and burnt down, what was in 1562. 1622 the campanile got demolished. After that only the crypt, part of the clocher, some eastern walls of the choir existed. The portal, which reminds on roman Triumph-arches (like St. Trophime, Arles) got demolished after the french revolution, - but puzzled together again within the 19th century, when the parish church was built.. This may not be the original version, but even though, it is a masterpiece.