Lessay
Lessay is a common French, located in the department of the Manche and the area Basse-Normandie.
Geography
History
The name of Lessay is a Toponyme having for origin a word of late Latin “exaquium” and whose substantive is “test”. It has as a significance “channel” and more generally returns to a concept of flow and water pipeline. The relationship with Lessay is obvious since this village is with the outlet of a river, the Ay, and is surrounded marshes partially drained today.
Heraldic
Of sand to the axe of gold logger
Administration
Demography
Places and monuments
The abbey
The abbey of Lessay is one of the principal centers of interests of this commune. The abbey was founded in 1056 by the barons of The-Hague-of-Well, Richard Turstin Haldup (or Haloup) and his Eudes son In Capel. In 1080, a charter signed under the sponsorship of William the Conqueror, Geoffroy de Montbray bishop of Coutances and fifty famous characters among whom the bishops of Canterbury, York, Bayeux, Winchester and Saint-Anselme, confirms the foundation.The abbey is richly equipped out of grounds, moors, forests, fisheries, mills and saltworks, construction is committed in 1064 under the direction of Renouf, brother of Turstin. The chapter house, the chorus, the Transept and the first two spans of the Nef are completed at the end of the 11th century. The first monks come from the abbey of the Nozzle-Hellouin like Roger first Abbot. In 1178, the abbey church is devoted, well after its completion, by Rotrou archbishop of Rouen.
The king of England, the king of France as well as the popes Urbain III and Innocent IV will take the abbey under their protection. Its apogee nun and material is at 12th and 13th centuries with two hundred and ten eight vassal, nine priories of which that of Boxgrove (Sussex) and the benefit coming of more than forty four localities.
During the War One hundred Year old, on June 11th 1356, the abbey which counted fifteen monks, is devastated by the Anglo-Navarreses: vaults, nave and tower lantern are destroyed as well as the dormitory and the refectory. In 1385, Dom Pierre Leroy, future abbot of the Mount Saint-Michel, decides rebuilding with identical which will be completed in 1420 under Guillaume de Guéhébert.
In 1484, the setting in order will precipitate the material and moral ruin monastery.
The monks Benedictines of the Congregation of Saint-Maur engage in 1707 the reform of the abbey and entrust to the architect Jacques de Cussy the repair of the bell-tower which becomes a bell-tower with bulb, forms that it will keep until his destruction in 1944, and the rebuilding of the conventual buildings in 1752.
At the Revolution, the abbey is availability of the Nation and the nine monks present in 1789 give up the life monacale.
In 1791 the abbey church becomes parish church on decision of the constituent Assembly what saves it demolition. The conventual buildings are sold like goods nationaux.
July 11th 1944 the German army reprocesses of it mine the abbey church, which causes the collapse of the vaults and the considerable damage in particular on the side nord.
From 1945 the abbey church and the old conventual buildings are the subject of a remarkable restoration carried out under the direction of Y-M Froidevaux, architect as a chief of the Historic buildings, thanks to the files preserved at Paris. In 1958 the church is returned to the worship, the conventual buildings are a private field and do not visit themselves. Nowadays all the summer, one organizes concerts in the abbey.
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