"Sainte Ferme, France" a Saint-Ferme Travel Page by ceswho

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Sainte Ferme Abbey

History

Work on the benedictine Abbey of Saint-Ferme was started by black monks before the 11th century. Successive abbots and local inhabitants devoted themselves to the construction and defence of its church(the oldest parts of which are 12th century) and monastery buildings.
Fortified in the Hundred Year's War and thanks to its illustrious abbots, the abbey graced and benefitted the region. It welcomed pilgrims travelling to Compostela in Northern Spain but was badly damaged in the religious wars of the late 16th century. The stone-mason's chisel and the Huguenot's weapon left their marks on the walls.
The church's majestic nave brings the visitor to several remarkable Romanesque capitals, the work of sculptors inspired by nature, the bible and the fantastic. Other features include the 18th century fresco of justice which adorns the abbot's sentencing chamber.