The Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu

On December 28, 1043, Robert de Turlande (Saint Robert) left Brioude (FRANCE – Haute-Loire – 43) with two companions in order to build a religious life in line with his expectations.
All three retire in a forest desert, as could be the current site of La Chaise-Dieu.
But very quickly, joined by a large number of young people attracted by the charisma and holiness of Robert, they must give up their life of hermits to form a small community under the rule of Saint-Benoit.
This small establishment quickly takes an important place in the religious life. Vocations and tributary gifts, and on land received, Robert founded the first small priory.

About 300 years after Saint Robert a monk of the Chaise-Dieu Pierre Roger becomes Pope Clement VI and declared by a bubble of 1432 to rebuild at his own expense the entire abbey church which will also become his tomb. After his death, Pope Gregory XI, nephew of Clement VI continued the work of his uncle, and the last regular abbots compete with zeal and generosity to embellish the monastery.

What is a Casadean site?

Casadean comes from Casa Dei which means “House of God” (in Latin). This is the name received by the abbey. It will change with time into God’s chair, where God resides. A Casadean site is a priory or abbey having been in touch with the Casadean congregation, and who “depended” on the Chaise-Dieu. It is on the basis of this historical network and the census work of the Casadean sites of Pierre-Roger GAUSSIN that our project of cooperation and exchanges between the old Casadean sites was built.

European network of Casadian sites

European Network of Casadean sites is an association law 1901, created on October 13, 2001 at the Chaise-Dieu, on a European scale with France, Spain and Italy then Switzerland. The purpose of the association is to create modern links between sites that have been in their history attached to the congregation of the Abbey of la Chaise-Dieu. The Network includes municipalities hosting a Casadian site, associations that highlight or animate one or more sites (associations for safeguarding or animation heritage, tourism offices, parishes, …) and anyone wishing to take part in the activities of the association.

Among the major objectives of this Network is the awareness of the local population and the general public of the past history of the Casadean congregation, the promotion of historical research, assistance to the development of the Casadean heritage, the cultural and tourist development of the sites, as well as exchanges and cooperation for economic development.