Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Villelongue

About

The abbey of Sainte-Marie de Villelongue or abbey of Villelongue is a cistercian abbey in ruins located in the commune of Saint-Martin-le-Vieil in the department of Aude en Languedoc-Roussillon. The Abbey is located between Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. The abbey is a private domain that has been listed as historical monuments since 1916. The abbey is characterized by its beautiful and rich sculptures.

Between 1145 and 1149, a monk from Morimond Abbey, Guillaume, originally from Bonnefont en Comminges, settled on the Black Mountain, in a place called Compania (currently farm of Compagne), between the rivers of the Sor and Lampy, to found a monastery. The first donations date from 1149:

On 16 May 1149, three donations were made to William of Compania, by the lord of Saissac and the neighboring lords, of all the possessions they possessed on the site of Compania, Two new donations of tithes and land are made the following days. The land is located between the Sor and Lampy rivers, Bruniquel Public Road (now Conquet) and Compania Wood. After 1150, Guillaume de Compania who laid the first stone of the...