L'abbaye de Saint-Sulpice-la-Forêt et ses dépendances à l'époque moderne : la « mère » et ses « filles »

Abstract

Saint-Sulpice-la-Forêt, a Breton women’s abbey of the Benedictine order, finds itself at the head of a network counting about forty priories by the early 17th Century. While some of them are located only a few kilometers away from the monastery, most are scattered in various dioceses of Western France, far from the mother house’s authority. How does the abbess manage her dependencies remotely, and how does the distance influence the nuns’ behaviour? The abbess has to keep the entirety of her priories under her yoke – the survival of the mother abbey depends indeed on the safeguard of its network. In a context of monastic renewal, the abbess has to face her prioresses’ desires, who want to accede to new responsibilities while trying to emancipate themselves from the abbatial power. Bound by the rule of strict enclosure she has to respect, the abbess cannot travel personally within her priories network and must rely on a third party to bring her the information she needs. Studying the archives of Saint-Sulpice makes it possible to follow the evolution of the link uniting the mother abbey to its priories. The correspondence highlights kindly, respectful relations that can however prove to be difficult and confrontational. The abbess must not only face her prioresses’ complaints or internal disputes, she also has to stand up to the ecclesiastical authorities interfering in the priories’ matters. Thanks to the support of trustworthy persons and resorting to justice when required, the abbess manages to keep her rights and privileges, while firmly maintaining her sovereignty.

Keywords

• Saint-Sulpice-la-Forêt
• Bénédictines
• Abbaye
• Prieuré
• Réforme monastique