Senones Abbey

The abbey was founded in the middle of the 7th century by Saint Gondelbert, bishop of Sens, who was also the first abbot. Gondelbert arrived in the Rabodeau valley and named his monastery after the diocese of Sens (Senonis in Latin). In 661, Childeric II, king of Austrasia, donated the Val de Senones to Gondelbert, who dedicated the church to Notre Dame. The monks followed the Rule of Saint Benedict. The Vögte ("advocates"), from at the latest the 12th century, were the Counts, later Princes, of Salm, in whose lands the abbey stood. There was frequent conflict between the abbey and its Vögte up the end of the monastery's existence. In the 16th century however the conflicts became so severe that to resolve them required the intervention of Emperor Maximilian II and Popes Pius V and Gregory XIII; the resolution was not to the advantage of the abbey, which found itself from then on significantly weakened in relation to the claims of the Salms. In the 12th century the abbey premises were rebuilt by abbot Anthony of Pavia, and included a round church, now vanished. At this time the abbey was responsible for the foundation of several small priories, including those at Xures, Léomont and Vic-sur-Seille (all in the first third of the century), Le Moniet (1126) and Fricourt (in the mid-12th century).