More time at the Monastery

In Chapter 10 we return to the monastery outside Vernet-Les-Bains. In the story it is now called

Saint-Matthieu-des-Pyrenees-Orientales

Anyway more descriptions

“Sits at a height of 4000 ft above sea level”

“Red-roofed and precariously high at the summit”

“The main entrance to the abbey is a later expression of the Romanesque,…a squared off stone portal crowned by geometric,Islamic borders and 2 grimacing,groaning Christian monsters”

“wonderful delicate cloister, hedged by the rose bushes…surrounded by twisted single columns of red marble so fragile in appearance”.

“the cloister fountain, a six sided, red marble basin”

The story then goes on to talk about the symbolism of eagles and the early venetian conquests. The eagle would traditionally hold a book in its claws. If the book was open then Venice was at peace when it was carved. Closed meant Venice was at war.

List of abbeys in the Pyrenees – taken from Wikipedia

This is a list of Benedictine monasteries, extant and non-extant, in the present territory of France. It includes both monks and nuns following the Rule of St. Benedict, excluding the Cistercians, for whom see List of Cistercian monasteries in France. Some monasteries however belonged at various times in their histories to both the Benedictines and the Cistercians.

1. Abbey of St. Mary, Arles-sur-Tech (Abbaye Sainte-Marie d’Arles-sur-Tech), monks, Diocese of Perpignan (Arles-sur-Tech, Pyrénées-Orientales)
2. Belloc Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc) (Urt, Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
3. Le Canigou Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Martin du Canigou), monks, Diocese of Perpignan (Casteil, Pyrénées-Orientales)
4. Cuxa Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Michel de Cuxa), monks, Diocese of Perpignan (Codalet, Pyrénées-Orientales)
5. Saint-André Abbey (Abbaye de Saint-André), monks (Saint-André, Pyrénées-Orientales)
6. Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines Abbey (Abbaye de Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines or Abbaye Saint-Michel de Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines) (Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, Pyrénées-Orientales)
7. Saint-Pé-de-Générès Abbey (Abbaye de Saint-Pé-de-Générès^[66]), monks, Diocese of Tarbes (Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre, Hautes-Pyrénées)
8. Saint-Sever-de-Rustan Abbey (Abbaye de Saint-Sever-de-Rustan) (Hautes-Pyrénées
9. Tournay Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Tournay), monks (Tournay, Hautes-Pyrénées)
10. Abbey of St. Scholastica, Urt (Abbaye de Saint-Scholastique d’Urt), nuns (Urt, Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

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