Marast
The priory certainly existed in 1183 as, on that date, a bull from Pope Calixtus II confirms its possession. Canons from the abbey of Chaumousey (order of Saint Augustine) erected the building and occupied the premises, it seems, until 1781 when the priory became an important farm. During the Revolution, the buildings became national property. Between 1809 and 1905, religious life reappeared with the creation of a minor seminary and then a school run by the Congregation of the Brothers of Mary, who were expelled after the law of separation of Church and State in 1905. The priory once again became a farm.
In 1970, the priory church, which was in danger of collapsing, was saved by the Conseil départemental de la Haute-Saône, which became its owner. The conventual buildings, rebuilt between 1520 and 1530 by the priors Jean and Hugues de la Palud, remain private property and are not open to the public. However, the flats of the monks and the location of the cloister are visible from the outside.
The Romanesque church, the only evidence of Rhenish influence from an architectural point of view in Franche-Comté, can be visited. Despite its mutilations, it has preserved all the purity of its style. The bell tower located near the choir was raised in the 18th century. The eight-bay nave has cylindrical columns and square piers connected by round arches, typical of Romanesque art. The capitals of the columns are topped with billets (Rhenish influence). The vaulting is made up of a magnificent framework in the shape of an upturned ship’s hull. In the choir, there are several funerary steles, the oldest of which represents Isabeau de Mailley (+ 1253) , wife of Aymon, Lord of Faugogney and Villersexel.
The priory of Marast is a remarkable place with truly amazing acoustics. Since 1991, the Association of the Friends of the Priory has organised numerous events (concerts, shows, exhibitions, etc.) and provides free guided tours.
Denis Sauget
President of the Association des Amis du Prieuré de Marast
http://prieuremarast.blogspot.fr
