The monastery of Saint-Sébastien de Manglieu (Magnus Locus) was founded by Bishop Genesius of Clermont (656-662) on one of his properties. The first abbot was Evodius. The community reached a certain splendour at that time, when it had two churches: one dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the other to the Apostles. Bishop Bonitus of Clermont (633-710) retired there, and thanks to the account of his life (Vita Boniti) we know some details about the monastery’s early configuration.
Later, Manglieu was abandoned, probably due to the Norman invasions. It was restored around 812 by Louis the Pious, king of Aquitaine between 781 and 817, who in 818, already as king of the Franks, granted it immunity. In the 12th century, major works were undertaken in the church, and further interventions followed in the first half of the 16th century, with new constructions affecting both the church and other monastic buildings. The former church of the Apostles became the present parish church of Saint-Sébastien, a dedication adopted in the 9th century after the arrival of relics of this saint.
The church of Manglieu still preserves its 7th-century rectangular chancel, originally with a wooden roof, as well as the narthex at the western end of the nave, part of the 12th-century Romanesque construction. The naves correspond to the building erected in the 16th century. Remains of the cloister also survive, along with parts of the church of Notre-Dame, which served as a parish church until the Revolution, while maintaining its ties with the monastery.
Exterior of the apse with added construction
Church floor plan
Illustration from Manglieu (Congrès Archéologique de France)
Narthex capital
Narthex and tribune
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The abbey of Manglieu is located in the village of the same name, southeast of Clermont-Ferrand