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Arles-sur-Tech - Abbaye Sainte-Marie

City: Arles-sur-Tech is a village in France, situated in the Pyrénées-Orientales department and in the region of Languedoc Roussillon. As the name suggests the place is located on the river Tech, a river which flows along its bed for 84 km. The inhabitants, who are called Arlésiens, enjoy an inheritance full of traditions and natural beauty.

Building: In the centre of the village the Abbaye Sainte-Marie can be seen. The history of the abbey (Abbaye in French) Saint-Marie goes back to the 8th century. It was the monk Castellanus who decided that the abbey would be built on the remains of Roman baths. The abbey was plundered by the Normans in the 9th century. They brought a wave of death and devastation. The church of the abbey was twice dedicated, this teaches us that following the first inauguration there was also a massive rebuilding. The dates for the dedication were 1046 and 1157.

Object: God’s name was found on the main altar – it was hidden behind two chairs. In this case also ‘artistic freedom' has been used, the first and third character (from right to left) are somewhat similar.

 

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