The women’s abbey of Notre-Dame de Nevers was supposedly founded in 624 by the monk Babolein, abbot of Saint-Maur (Val-de-Marne). This figure is known from a narrative of his Vita, written in the 12th century. If the existence of the monastery of Saint-Étienne is also taken into account, two female establishments associated with the rule of Saint Columbanus would have coexisted in the city of Nevers at that time. However, it cannot be ruled out that they were in fact the same establishment. This first monastery supposedly disappeared in the 8th century, possibly as a result of a Muslim raid.
The monastery was restored in 849 by Hériman, bishop of Nevers, and placed under the patronage of Saint-Genès, while the Rule of Saint Benedict was introduced. The bishop was buried in the monastery. A charter of 887, issued by King Charles III the Fat (839–888), confirmed its possessions. From 1121, during the episcopate of Fromond, the establishment was rebuilt. The abbey also housed relics of Saint Reverianus (d. 273), bishop of Autun, whom tradition considers to have been martyred at this site. The monastery had originally been built outside the city walls, but later defensive works incorporated it into the walled city.
In 1478 the monastery was damaged by fire, which led to part of it being rebuilt. A reform of observance was subsequently undertaken and, in 1540, the abbey joined the Chezal-Benoît Congregation. This affiliation allowed it to retain the free election of its abbess and avoid the commendatory system. In the mid-16th century the community was affected by an outbreak of plague and the nuns were forced to take refuge outside the monastery. It also suffered as a result of the passage of the Huguenots through the region. In 1636 the Chezal-Benoît Congregation joined the Congregation of Saint-Maur, and the abbey became part of it as well. In 1668 it adopted the customs of the Cluniac Congregation.
Saint Michael defeating the devil (12th century)
Louvre Museum, Paris
Illustration from Abbaye des religieuses bénédictines de Notre-Dame-de-Nevers (1902)
The abbey was suppressed in 1790 as a result of the Revolution, when the community consisted of twelve nuns. Few remains of the establishment survive today. In addition to the remains of the abbey church, the small chapel of Saint-Michel, now much altered, is preserved. Its portal was surmounted by a tympanum depicting Saint Michael defeating the devil, now preserved in the Louvre Museum. The Gothic chapter house (13th century), which has been restored, also survives. Associated with the monastery was the former medieval parish church of Saint-Genest, now much altered.
Illustration from Abbaye des religieuses bénédictines de Notre-Dame-de-Nevers (1902)
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The monastery of Notre-Dame was located in Nevers, west of the cathedral