REMIREMONT, ABBEY OF

Chapter of noble women in the town of Remiremont, France, former Diocese of Toul, modern Diocese of Saint-Dié. The abbey was founded c. 620 by St. Romary (Romaricus) on the summit of "Saint Mont" in the southern Vosges. Originally it was a double monastery in the filiation of luxeuil, following the Rule of St. columban and practicing the Laus perennis, i.e., continuous chanting of the Office by alternating choirs. The men's monastery disappeared fairly early, perhaps during the 9th century. The women's monastery was transferred to the valley between 814 and 821, about the same time it adopted the benedictine rule. During the 11th century the abbey was transformed into a chapter of canon esses that accepted only the daughters of the highest nobility. Common life and vows disappeared; only the abbess promised to observe celibacy. There were several attempts at reform, especially under the Abbess Catherine of Lorraine c. 1620, but all failed. The chapter was suppressed during the French Revolution. When the women's monastery was transferred to the valley in the 9th century, "Saint-Mont" was occupied by hermits who became canons regular c. 1100 and gave the place to the benedictines in 1623.

Bibliography: l. h. cottineau, Répertoire topobibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, 2 v. (Mâcon 1935–39) 2:2442–43. a. didier-laurent, "L'Abbaye de Remiremont…," Mémoires de la Société d'archéologie Lorraine et du musée historique Lorrain 47 (1897) 259–498. g. durand, L'Église Saint-Pierre des Dames de Remiremont, 2 v. (Epinal 1929-31). e. hlawitschka, Studien zur Äbtissinnenreihe von Remiremont (Saarbrücken 1963). v. a. bergerot, "L'Organisation et le régime intérieur de chapitre de Remiremont du XIIIe au XVIIIe siècle," Annales de l'Est 13–17 (1899–1903), passim.

[j. choux]