Abbey of Notre-Dame de Lahonce
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Lahonce / La Honce / Lefonce / Fontia
(Lahonce, Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
The Premonstratensian monastery of Lahonce was founded at an undetermined date, probably shortly after 1150, as a dependency of Notre-Dame de La Casedieu (Gers). The foundation is attributed to Bertran, Viscount of Labort. In 1224, the priory of Saint-Pierre de Behaune (Lantabat, Pyrénées-Atlantiques) was donated to him, where a hospital was maintained to care for pilgrims on the Way of St. James.
In the 16th century, after a period of decline, the monastery was destroyed during the Wars of Religion. Its archives were also lost at that time, so there is little information about the house. It remained a very modest institution; in the 17th century it had only a community of two members who were in charge of some parishes, in addition to the monastery church itself, which also exercised parochial functions. The abbey was suppressed during the Revolution. The church, built between the 12th and 13th centuries, still retains its parish functions. Other monastic outbuildings have also survived, a complex that has been restored and remodelled since 2015. The cloister, which has disappeared, is now an open courtyard.
Discoid steles
- ABADIE, Stéphane (2016). Un temporel monastique dans l’espace médiéval gascon : l’abbaye prémontrée de la Casedieu (Gers), XIIe-XVIe s. Tesi doctoral. Université Toulouse le Mirail - Toulouse II
- ARDURA, Bernard (1993). Abbayes, prieurés et monastères de l'ordre de Prémontré. Nancy: Presses U. De Nancy
- AUBERT, R. (2007). Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques. Vol. 29. París: Letouzey et Ané
- BACKMUND, Norbert (1956). Monasticon Praemonstratense Vol. 3. Straubing
- BEAUNIER, Dom (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Auch, Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- CABANOT, Jean (1978). Gascogne romane. Zodiaque. La nuit des temps
- ROMATET, Jacques (1970). Notes sur les origines de l'abbaye de La Honce. Bulletin du Musée basque, núm. 47
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1715). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 1. París: Coignard
Lahonce and its priory are located to the east of Bayonne, on the banks of the Adour