L'abbaye et l'église de Sauvelade

Sauvelade is situated in the centre of the region Le Larbaigt which means the valley of the river Laà. Situated on the way to Santiago de Compostela on the via Podensis (the Puy en Velay Way), Sauvelade is a stopover between Arthez-de-Béarn and Navarrenx. Sauvelade Abbey was built in the 12th century. It was Gaston IV Le Croisé, Viscount of Béarn, who made a gift to a Benedictine monk Dom Hélie of the forest of Faget to build a monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In 1286, Sauvelade Abbey was officially affiliated to the order of Cîteaux. As for the church, it is mentioned in 1287. It is registered as a historical monument in 1973. Its particularity is its Greek cross plan and it is surmounted by a dome which is quite unusual in Béarn. The church has the simplicity that characterizes all Cistercian buildings.