Description of the attraction
The Abbey of Saint-Rufus is located on the rue Moulin Notre Dame in Avignon. This is an old, partially destroyed building. The ruins of the abbey were recognized as a historical monument in 1887. The abbey was the home of the monks of the Order of St. Augustine, which was founded in the 11th century. The first mention of it appeared in 1039. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the Avignon abbey was originally the burial place of early Christians.
Under the auspices of the popes and counts of Barcelona, in the XII century the abbey became one of the main centers of the Gregorian reform, the postulates of which spread throughout Europe (Christians of the Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavian countries, southern Germany, southern France became followers). The influence of the abbey increased with the creation of the small monastic order of Saint Rufus. This order was later transferred to Valence. However, the fact that the importance of this order was not too great explains the rare mention of the abbey in historical chronicles.
The architecture of the abbey is not fully preserved. The reason for this was the demolition orders given by the last abbots, as well as the subsequent destruction that resulted from the secularization of the order. The lower part of the bell tower is made of sandstone, fortified with hewn stone. The upper part of the bell tower is entirely built of cut stone. The choir consists of a polygonal apse, around which there are two semicircular chapels. The central part is decorated with three semicircular arches.
