A little history of Souillac abbey
And also
The tops
Benedictine monks came in Souillac (souilh means "swamp", a place where wild boars used to have a dip) in 962, on lands that belonged to count Saint-Géraud.
Clearing, draining of swamps... monks completely transformed the estate into a nice abbey.
Plundered and damaged by Saracens then by the English during the Hundred Years War, by Protestants during wars of Religion, our monastery always resisted.
Maybe because of its generous donors? King Louis the Debonaire, Raymond the first count of Rouergue and Quercy made it richer. Abbot of Aurillac Géraud gave it lands.
Re-raised in the 18th century, the abbey was abandoned during the French Revolution. Buildings were transformed into a "tobacco factory"!
Oh, did you see that? The old abbot church dedicated to the Virgin Mary (12th century), looks like the cathedral of Cahors, with its Byzantine style!