Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines - Abbey

Some Abbot Sentimir started to build an abbey here end of the 8th century. The abbey got looted and damaged by "heathens" (Marcel Durliat suspects Normans). From 981 on it was rebuilt by order of King Lothair of France, son of Louis IV of France (aka "Transmarinus"). The abbey slipped under the protection of the Counts of Roussillon and later of the Kings of Aragon. The church was enlarged and re-consecrated in 1153. Since 1088 the abbey was connected to Cluny in Burgundy.

The abbey existed upto the French Revolution. The abbey church serves as a parish church "Saint Michel" since 1846.

The facade of the fromer abbey church has a white marble lintel over doors of the former abbey church depicting a theophany. For Doyen Marcel Durliat, author of "Roussilion roman", this relief marks the begin of Romanesque sculpturing within the Roussilion. Thanks to an inscription on that lintel (see previous uploads) it is known, that it was carved in 1019.

The interior is decorated with a couple of Baroque carvings, but there are Romanesque ones as well. This damaged capital (griffins) now supports the stoup, near the entrance doors. This is the only capital of this kind in Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines. The artist used the same material and worked in the same style, like the capitals in Serrabone, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa and Villefranche-de-Conflent are carved in. It may come from the same workshop.

P.S.
Just read, that this capital MAY come from the cloister of the former abbey St-André-de-Sorède, just 4kms east.