Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes - Abbey Church

Not even 600 people live in the village of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes. They would all easily find a chair inside the huge old abbey church, that has a total length of 72,30 meters.

The history of this abbey, just 10kms northeast of Airvault, dates back to the 4th century, when Jovinus (French "Jouin") in 342 founded a small oratory near a place named Ensio. Not much is known about Jovinus. He may have been borne in a wealthy family. It is believed, that his was brother of Saint Maximin, the first Bishop of Treves.

The oratory developed into a monastery over the next decades, that was the second monastery existing in France, just after Saint-Martin-de-Ligugé, founded by St. Martin of Tours himself in 361.

The erection of the Abbey Church seen here, took place between 1095 and 1130, when an old Roman road, known under the name of "Saint Hilaire’s Way" was followed by pilgrims on their way to Santiago. At that time the road was one of the many that belonged all to the "Via Turonensis".

Like many of the churches along the "chemins" used by the pilgrims, the former Abbey Church has a large ambulatory with three radial chapels, seen here from outside.

The flying buttresses were added in the 13th century, when the Romanesque structure got unstable, due to alterations of the ceiling.

Monastic life was ended by the French Revolution in 1789. The Abbey was sold as national property. The church got preserved and serves as a parish church since 1795.