Saint-Hilaire - Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire

An abbey, dedicated to Saint Saturnin, first bishop of Toulouse, is mentioned already in 825. In 870 the relics of Saint Hilaire, who had evangelized the region in the 6th century and was the first bishop of Carcassonne were "translated" to the abbey.

During the Albigensian Crusade the monks were accused of heresy - and the abbey got looted. It got re-established, but the plague and the Hundred Years' War caused more difficulties to the abbey and the village around it. The fortifications erected at that time did not prevent severe damages during the Wars of Religions.

After a period of decline, the abbey closed in 1748, since then the church served the parish of the village.

Most visitors enter the former abbey-church, built within the 12th century, to admire the "Sarcophagus of Saint Sernin", carved from a single block of Pyrenean marble, by the "Maître de Cabestany".

Here are three details of the sarcophag´s front side.

The "Maître de Cabestany" is known under this name since the 1930s when a tympanum and other carvings were found in Cabestany (near Perpignan).
The carvings did have a very specific style and so the anonymous artist was named "Maître de Cabestany". Research started and so far more than 120 carvings of these origins, all carved within the second half of the 12th century, are known. The carvings are spread over an area between the Tuscany in Italy, Southern France - and Catalonia in Spain. This led to the theory, that the "Maître de Cabestany" may not be a single master-carver, but a studio, where carvers learned this style. Meanwhile there is a museum in Cabestany, to is dedicated to these works of art - and their creator(s). - and of course a flickr-group.

www.maitre-de-cabestany.com/

The artistic style is very dynamic and creativ. The faces have almond eyes, a sharp nose, great ears and a triangular shape. The fingers of the hands are long, sometimes perspective.. ...


Here is an in-depth article about the Maître de Cabestany by Peter Hubert:

www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/the_maitre_de_cabes...