Monastery of Atane
Collegiate church of Saint-Yrieix / Attanum
(Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, Haute-Vienne)
The monastery of Atane was founded around the year 570 by Saint Aredius (Yrieix, c. 511–591) at the site known as Attanum. It was a modest foundation that developed around the figure of its founder. Shortly before his death, Aredius drew up his will, in which he bequeathed property to this monastery, as well as to the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Vigeois (Corrèze), which he had also founded, and arranged for his burial at Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers.
He also placed the monastery of Atane under the patronage of Saint Martin of Tours (Indre-et-Loire). Information about this monastery is scarce due to the loss of its documentation. It is thought that the site was restored by Pepin the Short († 768), perhaps as a canonical chapter, a restoration that, according to a forged document, was confirmed by his son Charlemagne in the year 794. However, it is more certain that during the first half of the 9th century it functioned as a regular chapter, likely following the customs of Aachen.
Between the 11th and 12th centuries, the canonry was secularised. An abbot is still mentioned in 1060, but later only the office of dean appears. Meanwhile, Atane (or Saint-Yrieix) remained under the authority of the collegiate church of Saint-Martin de Tours. Its transformation into a collegiate church fostered the prosperity of the former monastery: it was rebuilt, and its assets increased. The current church was built between the 12th and 13th centuries, although it preserves some earlier elements, such as the western porch with its bell tower. No remains survive from the original foundation period.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Chasse called of Saint Germaine (13th century)
The Municipal Library of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche houses an illuminated manuscript from the 12th century, from the collegiate church of Saint-Yrieix.
Municipal Library of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche
Municipal Library of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche
Municipal Library of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche
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- BEAUNIER, Dom (1912). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 5. Bourges. Abbaye de Ligugé
- BESSEYRE, Marianne; i altres (2014). La Bible de Saint‐Yrieix et le Peintre du Sacramentaire de Saint‐Étienne de Limoges. Les chapitres séculiers et leur culture. Presses Universitaires de Limoges
- FAGE, René (1923). Saint-Yrieix. Congrès archéologique de France, 84 ss. Limoges. Société française d'archéologie
- GUÉRIN, Paul (1888). Les Petits Bollandistes. Vies des saints. Vol. 10. París: Bloud et Barral
- LEROUX, Alfred (1882). Notes pour servir à l'histoire de Saint-Yrieix. Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin, vol. XXX
- LEROUX, Alfred (1892). Chronologie de l'histoire de Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche. Bulletin de la Société archéologique et historique du Limousin, vol. XL
- MASSONI, Anne (2009). Le chapitre de Saint-Yrieix : une dépendance martinienne en terre limousine. Chapitres séculiers et production artistique au XIIe siècle. Presses universitaires de Limoges
- MAURY, Jean (1960). Limousin roman. La Nuit des temps, 11. Zodiaque
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
The collegiate church is located in the municipality of Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, south of Limoges