In the eleventh century, a church and priory were built by the Benedictine Order on a hill in Ambialet, while the village had become established below. Many centuries later, in 1860, the priory was bought by a Franciscan friar, Father Clausade. He restored the monastery of the Priory for Third Order Franciscans and also the attached Romanesque chapel of Notre-Dame-de-L’Oder. He also established a seminary school for young boys.
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| The Priory Overlooking Ambialet © Tales of a Flaneur |
The seminary school for boys was very hard. Getting up at the crack of dawn was followed by shirtless gymnastics in the yard, regardless of the weather! After, they went to Mass and later to classes. Following meals, they recited seventy Hail Mary’s in the cloister with the monks. Only after this could they enjoy some recreation time! Their favorite day was Pentecost because they sang for the multitude who came there on pilgrimage. The seminary boarding school closed around 1960. Alumni still come today to see how the place is changed and to find the exact spot in which they slept at night.
Currently, the Priory is leased by Saint Francis University. Significant restorations have been made, which makes staying there a much more pleasant experience! Many students come each year and experience the wonderful joys of the rural area of Ambialet. The villagers say that we have brought light into their lives. They enjoy being able to look up on the hill and see lights on in the priory. It brings them great joy to know that the once abandoned building is now being put to such good use! The people of Ambialet look forward to new groups of students coming here each semester, and to being able to share Ambialet's history with each of them. We have certainly learned a lot about this town over the past three months, and have come to greatly respect its history and its people. We have felt so very welcomed and have enjoyed our time here!
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[Spectacle son & lumière d’Ambialet 2008: Texte redige du spectacle]
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