The origins of the Augustinian canonry of Notre-Dame de Pébrac are linked to Pierre de Chavanon (c. 1007-1080), trained at the community of Saint-Julien de Brioude (Haute-Loire). Around 1062 he arrived in Pébrac where, with the support of the bishop of Clermont, he settled at the church of Notre-Dame. Together with other followers, he founded an canonical chapter connected to Brioude. Pierre de Chavanon, venerated as a saint, also took part later in the foundation of Saint-Amable de Riom (Puy-de-Dôme).
His undertaking at Pébrac also benefited from the support of the local lords, which made possible the rebuilding and adaptation of the original church to accommodate a monastic community. In 1097, Pope Urban II formally established the foundation, granting it the status of an abbey. In its early years it accumulated goods and revenues, maintaining a significant number of small dependent priories. After the Hundred Years’ War, it recovered relatively easily and maintained its prosperity.
In 1494, the bishop of Saint-Flour (Cantal) consecrated the priory church, rebuilt at that time. Following the reform of 1525, the abbey came under the rule of commendatory abbots, which weakened its situation. In 1649, Pébrac was incorporated into the congregation of Sainte-Geneviève, which undertook the renewal of the conventual buildings. This situation lasted until 1791, when the community was forced to abandon the abbey because of the Revolution.
A remarkable group of buildings from the 11th to the 18th centuries has survived, arranged around a central courtyard, formerly occupied by the cloister. To the north stands the church, a single-nave construction; to the west, the abbatial palace; and to the east and south, the conventual buildings.
Photo by LeZibou, on Wikimedia
Illustration from L'ancienne Auvergne et le Velay (1843)
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The former abbey is located in the commune of Pébrac, south of Brioude and west of Le Puy-en-Velay