Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Pleine-Selve
Abbaye de Pleineselve / Sainte-Marie-Madeleine / Plana Silva / Plena Sylva / Pleineselve
(Pleine-Selve, Gironde)
The Premonstratensian Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Pleine-Selve was founded by the Bishop of Bordeaux, Geoffroy du Loroux (1136-1158), who also contributed to the establishment of the monasteries of regular canons of Notre-Dame de Sablonceaux (Charente-Maritime), Notre-Dame de Fontaine-le-Comte (Vienne), and Saint-Pierre de l’Isle de Médoc (Gironde), all of which were founded before he attained the episcopal dignity.
The foundation of Pleine-Selve is poorly documented but is traditionally dated to the 1140s-1150s, during Geoffroy’s time as bishop. Although it eventually became a Premonstratensian abbey, it has been suggested that it may have originally been an Augustinian house, like the other establishments promoted by its founder. The monastery is not mentioned in records until 1163.
In 1407, the abbey was severely damaged during a siege and never fully recovered. Although the abbatial title was retained until the French Revolution, it seems that for much of its history, the monastery lacked an active community. Today, the only remnants of the monastery are part of the church, including the rectangular apse and the northern arm of the transept.
Church floor plan
Illustration from Les vieilles églises de la Gironde
- ARDURA, Bernard (1993). Abbayes, prieurés et monastères de l'ordre de Prémontré. Nancy: Presses U. De Nancy
- BACKMUND, Norberto (1956). Monasticon Praemonstratense. Vol. III. Straubing
- BEAUNIER, Dom (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Auch, Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- BIRON, Réginald (1934). L’abbaye des Prémontrés de Sainte-Marie de Pleine-Selve. Revue historique de Bordeaux et du département de la Gironde, 27/3
- BRUTAILS, Jean-Auguste (1912). Les vieilles églises de la Gironde. Bordeus: Feret et Fils
- MASSON, Juliette (2007). Pleine-Selve - Le Bourg. Archéologie de la France
- MASSON, Juliette (2012). Geoffroi du Loroux et l’architecture religieuse en Aquitaine au XIIe siècle. Bulletin du centre d’études médiévales d’Auxerre / BUCEMA
- MASSON, Juliette (2013). Sainte-Marie de Pleine-Selve en Gironde : Nouvelles recherches sur une abbaye méconnue de l’ordre de Prémontré. Bulletin du centre d’études médiévales d’Auxerre / BUCEMA
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
The current church of Pleine-Selve is located north of Bordeaux, on the way to Saintes, near the border with the Charente-Maritime department.