Vestiges de l'ancienne Abbaye Saint-Honorat

Saint Honorat Abbey in Tarascon was founded in accordance with the wishes of a layman, Rostaing de Gantelme; having survived the massacre of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, he ended up in the Lérins Islands, opposite the city of Cannes, while fleeing the Italian coast. There was a Clunisian monastery on the islands at the time, founded by Honorat of Arles in the 5th century. Rostaing de Gantelme swore to found a Benedictine monastery to prove his gratitude to God. He was not to fulfil his promise, which was not executed until 1352, by his grandson Jean, Seneschal of Provence. The Tarascon Benedictines were placed under the authority of the monastery of Lérines and Jean Gantelme granted them the Campredon estate on the current territory of St Pierre de Mézoargues, property he obtained from Queen Jeanne. Of the 30 nuns who lived in Saint Honorat, Gantelme stipulated that at least 15 had to come from Tarascon families and be accepted free of charge. The first Abbess was therefore Béatrix d'Albe de Roquemartine, a member of a famous local family. The 'Great Convent', as Saint Honorat was generally known, did not close until the Revolution in 1790.
Architectural description:
Only the Abbey portal is visible from the street. Opposite the château is a curious, high and very narrow façade, on which two pilasters with Ionic capitals frame a depressed arch opening. Above this are two high rectangular bays. Both sides of the façade are bordered by monumental pilasters supporting a large triangular fronton surrounded by a cornice with very wide eaves. The frieze on the entablature features alternating triglyphs and metopes, decorated with bucrania.