Abbey of Notre-Dame de Doue
Saint-Jacques de Doue / Doa / Domus Douae
(Saint-Germain-Laprade, Haute-Loire)
The Premonstratensian abbey of Notre-Dame de Doue originated in a church founded by Raymond and Guillaume de Saint-Quentin. Around 1138, the same founders established an Augustinian canonry there, which Pierre de Solignac, bishop of Le Puy between 1159 and 1189, incorporated into the Order of Prémontré in 1167. It is likely that, as was customary in this order, the house was originally a double community and may also have included a female branch, although no records of this survive.
At the beginning of the 13th century, the church was rebuilt and the necessary monastic buildings were erected. Doue gained and maintained considerable influence in the region and, in particular, within the diocese. However, in 1566 the abbey was attacked by the Huguenots and suffered severe damage, marking the beginning of its decline. In 1589, the inhabitants of Le Puy set fire to the abbey and partially demolished the church. The following year, the monastery was placed under commendatory system, which did not help its recovery; indeed, the community was dissolved for a time and the house remained in ruins.
Afterwards, only a very small community survived. In 1656 the abbey suffered yet another fire and was soon dismantled. In 1770, the General Chapter of the order decreed its suppression and demolition, but shortly afterwards an attempt was made to rebuild it, which failed due to the Revolution. In 1791 the site was sold. Of the church, only the transept, the polygonal apse and a tower remain, all dating from the medieval period. The cloister has disappeared, though some vestiges of the later conventual buildings can still be seen.
Church floor plan
Published in L’abbaye de Doue (1976)
Tomb of Canon Robert de la Rochette (1228)
Illustration from Recherches historiques sur l'Abbaye de Doue (1900)
- ARDURA, Bernard (1993). Abbayes, prieurés et monastères de l'ordre de Prémontré. Nancy: Presses U. de Nancy
- AUBERT, R. (1960). Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques. Vol. 14. París: Letouzey et Ané
- BACKMUND, Norbert (1956). Monasticon Praemonstratense Vol. 3. Straubing
- BEAUNIER, Dom (1912). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 5. Bourges. Abbaye de Ligugé
- DU TEMS, Hugues (1775). Le clergé de France, vol. III. París: Brunet
- PONTVIANNE, Régis (1900). Recherches historiques sur l'Abbaye de Doue et sur les prieurés qui en dépendaient (1162-1789). Le Puy: I. Catholique
- SAINT-JEAN, Robert (1976). L’abbaye de Doue. Congrès archéologique de France, 188 ss. Velay. Société française d'archéologie
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
- THIOLLIER, Noël (1900). L'architecture religieuse à l'époque romane dans l'ancien diocèse du Puy. Le Puy: Marchessou
The abbey of Doue is located to the east of Le Puy-en-Velay, not far from the town