Portal of the second establishment, in the center
The abbey of Saint-Ruf de Valence originated in an early canonry established in 1039 in the vicinity of Avignon (Vaucluse). Its development was rapid, and it soon stood at the head of a network of monasteries, an organisation officially recognised by Pope Urban II in 1095. The canons of Saint-Ruf followed the Rule of Saint Augustine.
First establishment in l’Épervière
Owing to the disputes they maintained with the clergy of Avignon Cathedral and to conflicts with the Albigensians, the community decided in 1158 to move to Valence, where it obtained largely unoccupied land at the site of l’Épervière. The canons settled there in a location set apart from the city, which allowed them to continue their activity with a certain independence from the affairs of the town of Valence. The site offered the seclusion they sought, but its proximity to the Rhône made it prone to flooding; for this reason, they soon afterwards established the priory of Saint-James within the city.
At l’Épervière, in addition to their religious functions, an intense agricultural activity developed, with several mills making use of the watercourses. At the end of the fourteenth century, owing to the instability of the period, the priory of Saint-James served as a refuge for the community. This situation recurred during the third quarter of the sixteenth century, when the canonry moved permanently to Saint-James as a result of the Wars of Religion. A new monastery was built in the city centre, and the site of l’Épervière was definitively abandoned.
First establishment in l’Épervière
Inscription referring to the canon Arnaudus Bonum Vinum
Photo by Morburre, on Wikimedia
Saint-Ruf de Valence remained in existence until its suppression in 1773. After the Revolution, the residence of the canons became the seat of the prefecture, but it was destroyed in 1944 during a bombing raid; today only the eighteenth-century portal arch is preserved. Nearby stands the last church of Saint-Ruf, now a Protestant place of worship. Some remains of sixteenth-century buildings from the first establishment at l’Épervière are also preserved.
Capital with the episode of the Judgement of Solomon
Louvre Museum
The church of the second establishment, in the city center
Photo by Chabe01, on Wikimedia
The establishment of the center occupied by the prefecture, now destroyed
Old postcard, private collection
The establishment of the center occupied by the prefecture, now destroyed
Old postcard, private collection
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- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1865). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 16. París: Firmin Didot
- VEYRENCHE, Yannick (2009). Une abbaye chef d’ordre face à deux cités, les chanoines réguliers de Saint-Ruf à Avignon et Valence. Moines et religieux dans la ville. Cahiers de Fanjeaux, 44. Toulouse: Privat
- VEYRENCHE, Yannick (2010). L'installation de Saint-Ruf à Valence. L'abbaye de Saint-Ruf d'Avignon à Valence. Valence
The remains of l’Épervière are located to the south of the city, near the river. The second establishment lies in the city centre, next to the Saint-Ruf gardens