Sorèze
17 July
In the foothills of La Montagene Noire, south west of Castres you will find Sorèze. Although it is another town with medieval components, it is not for that that we visited, but for the Abbey-School of Sorèze, an important link in the history of education in France
The 20th century brought its problems, not the least of which was the disappearance of monks to continue the teaching. During WWII the students were transferred to St Cyr and afterwards Sorèze became an ‘integrated’ school, to use the NZ term. Dominicans retained control until 1978 when it was taken in hand by people passionate to see it continue its life. In its last 20 years or so it was opened to girls as well but in 1991 the school was forced to close, putting an end to centuries of very special learning, whatever your political stance on such schools.
Now open to visitors and also turned into a hotel, with rooms for seminars and cultural events such as concerts, this Abbaye-Ecole is once more a centre of life and learning, at the base of La Montagne Noire.
Lacordaire : "Sorèze, c'est une Ecole où la Religion, les lettres, les sciences et les arts, c'est-à-dire le divin, le vrai, le réel, le beau et l'aimable se partagent les heures d'un jeune homme et se disputent son coeur pour jeter en lui les fondements si difficiles et si complexes d'une vie d'homme."
Some photos are of the school, but not many. The photos are of the town itself and of a couple of places we called in at on the way there and back.
The second link has a few more of La Montagne Noire area, including a tomb for 14 resistance fighters, average age about 21, and photos of Saissac with the ruins of the castle. Apparently a later one than the one Simon de Montfort sacked.
Photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/101628277989220379025/TripToSoreze
http://picasaweb.google.com/101628277989220379025/MontagneNoire
17 July
In the foothills of La Montagene Noire, south west of Castres you will find Sorèze. Although it is another town with medieval components, it is not for that that we visited, but for the Abbey-School of Sorèze, an important link in the history of education in
After episodes of destruction and turmoil, more or less starting with the Normans (9th century) and culminating in the wars of religion (16th century), the abbey was rebuilt (again) in the 17th century and the Benedictine monks opened a school for impoverished boys from noble families, continuing to teach, as they always had, reading, writing and religion. (Should I mention that they wanted to compete with the local Protestant Academy
Whilst some of the teaching was relevant to the military, there were also courses in religion, arts, sciences and especially sport. Horse-riding and fencing were as important as the academic subjects. Swimming, more-or-less unknown at the time, was also included.
Revolution (The French one), however, has its price, and with the dissolution of the monastic orders and the closure of military schools, the school seemed on the point of disappearing. Mais non, the school principal bought the buildings (making it now a private school) and continued the schooling. Instruction was given in French (rare at the time), maths and science featured highly, as well as the arts (drawing, painting, writing, music and dance), the skills of horse-riding, fencing, swimming and courses in fortification, as before. (I wonder if the ghost of Vauban passed by!) 
The swimming pool was huge. It must have been 100 metres long. The riding could be easily done in the vast grounds. Did I read 6 hectares somewhere? It has to be said that such liberalism was not without its critics and the school had more crises to get through before it stablised under Lacordaire.
However irreligious and immoral it was deemed, this curriculum continued through the 19th century. In 1854 the Dominican order took over, under Father Henri-Dominique Lacordaire, giving the school a new breath of life. Although he was there only 7 years, dying prematurely, he had a huge influence on the students, staff and the morale of the school. He had both lay people and monks to help him and he established a third order of teaching Dominicans. Students came from all over the world. The school rolls are on the four sides of a corridor surrounding a courtyard and it is really interesting to read the names and place or country of origin of the students over the years. 
The swimming pool was huge. It must have been 100 metres long. The riding could be easily done in the vast grounds. Did I read 6 hectares somewhere? It has to be said that such liberalism was not without its critics and the school had more crises to get through before it stablised under Lacordaire.The 20th century brought its problems, not the least of which was the disappearance of monks to continue the teaching. During WWII the students were transferred to St Cyr and afterwards Sorèze became an ‘integrated’ school, to use the NZ term. Dominicans retained control until 1978 when it was taken in hand by people passionate to see it continue its life. In its last 20 years or so it was opened to girls as well but in 1991 the school was forced to close, putting an end to centuries of very special learning, whatever your political stance on such schools.
Now open to visitors and also turned into a hotel, with rooms for seminars and cultural events such as concerts, this Abbaye-Ecole is once more a centre of life and learning, at the base of La Montagne Noire.
Lacordaire : "Sorèze, c'est une Ecole où la Religion, les lettres, les sciences et les arts, c'est-à-dire le divin, le vrai, le réel, le beau et l'aimable se partagent les heures d'un jeune homme et se disputent son coeur pour jeter en lui les fondements si difficiles et si complexes d'une vie d'homme."
Some photos are of the school, but not many. The photos are of the town itself and of a couple of places we called in at on the way there and back.
The second link has a few more of La Montagne Noire area, including a tomb for 14 resistance fighters, average age about 21, and photos of Saissac with the ruins of the castle. Apparently a later one than the one Simon de Montfort sacked.
Photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/101628277989220379025/TripToSoreze
http://picasaweb.google.com/101628277989220379025/MontagneNoire
