Abbaye Church of Saint-Pierre
St Émilion , FRANCE
St Émilion , FRANCE
Benedictine monks founded a monastery. The village and ramparts were formed around the original foundation.
Off rue Guadet one can visit the convent of the Cordeliers, with the remains of a 14th century cloister. The monastery was built by Franciscan monks.
The church was cared out of solid rock and is Europe's largest monolithic cathedral.
The cathedral was built in the 11th century, and in a relatively short time span, 40 years. During the 18th century much damage was done to the church as revolutionaries scraped the church walls to collect salt peter which was a base ingredient for gunpowder.
The collegiate church also holds 14th century cloisters. The original cloisters were built shortly after the death of Saint Emilion, in 767. In the 14th Century they were rebuilt and expanded.
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