Île Barbe

The Île Barbe is an island situated in the middle of the Saône, in the 9th arrondissement de Lyon, the quartier Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe. Its name comes from the Latin insula barbara, "Barbarians' Island", suggesting that it was one of the last locales to be occupied.

History

An abbaye was founded on the island in the 5th century. This was the first monastic establishment in the Lyon region and one of the oldest in all of Gaul. Charlemagne gave it a beautiful library.

The monastery, pillaged several times – (in 676 and 725 by the Saracens, and in 937 by the Huns[1]), adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict règle de saint Benoît in the 9th century and gradually was enriched.

In 816, Louis the Pious (Louis le Pieux) awarded to the monastery:

the right to maintain at all time three boats upon the Saône, the Rhône and the Doubs exempt from taxes for passage; a decree of immunity and protection for the monastery confirmed by Charles the Bald Charles le Chauve in 861.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the abbey passed into the ownership commende of the bénéfice of the Albon family famille d'Albon.

In 1549, the abbey was secularised and the monts became a college of canons chanoines (collégiale).

In 1562, it was looted and burned by Protestant troops troupes protestantes of the Baron des Adrets baron des Adrets.

The chapter of canons chapitre des chanoines finally was suppressed in 1741, and an establishment for aged or infirm priests was established, which was suppressed in its turn in 1783. At the Revolution, everything remaining on the island was sold and dispersed.