The Abbey of Saint-Martin du Canigou lies at the heart of the mountain range of the same name, perched on an eagle’s nest. The former Benedictine abbey of Saint-Martin has quietly overlooked the valley since the 11th century, inviting delighted visitors to discover its unique site. The Lombard bell tower, the marble capitals, and the vaulted abbey church and crypt make it a jewel of early regional Romanesque art.
Saint-Martin du Canigou Abbey is a Benedictine monastery founded in the 10th century by Guifred II, great-grandson of Guifred el Pelut, Count of Conflent and Cerdagne. Guifred II undertook the construction of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou with the support of his younger brother Oliba, a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, where he would become abbot in 1008.
The first consecration of the churches of Saint-Martin took place in November 1009. For eight centuries, Benedictine monks lived at this site. They led a life entirely devoted to God in prayer, seeking to “prefer nothing to divine praise,” in accordance with the exhortation of their father, Saint Benedict. In 1779, one of them wrote in a letter that there were only five of them left, all advanced in age and barely able to make ends meet. Consequently, they requested permission to leave the abbey. They departed in 1783. The abbey was then abandoned, confiscated during the Revolution, and later repurchased by a local landowner.
The abbey was revived in the early 20th century. Since 1987, the Community of the Beatitudes has been conducting religious services there.
The lower church is mostly underground, and its ceiling height is barely more than 3 meters.
The cloister has retained three of its original galleries.
The Abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou is also a stop on the Way of St. James.
The Community of the Beatitudes welcomes tourists and pilgrims year-round for guided tours of the abbey and liturgical services. It also welcomes people seeking a few days of spiritual renewal.
Saint-Martin du Canigou Abbey
66820 Casteil
Tel.: 04 68 05 50 03
