ABSTRACT
The immense Romanesque abbey of Cluny in southern Burgundy, a symbol of medieval monasticism at its greatest breadth and power, was closed after the French Revolution, divided into four lots and auctioned for parts in 1798 (Figure 11.1). 1 The winning bidders were businessmen from the departmental seat, Mâcon, a city less than fifteen miles southeast of Cluny. Demolition on the site continued until 1822, when a deal was signed between the national government and the town of Cluny to use the remaining stone from the east end of the church in order to build a national stable for the stallions of the Republican army. View of partly destroyed abbey church of Cluny in 1823. Watercolor by Mme. de Reydellet. Archives départementales de Saône-et-Loire. Used by permission https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315766218/83ec2b06-59e7-4e66-87b5-aed191900d6e/content/fig11_1_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
