Abbey of Saint-Roman

Abbey of Saint-Roman is the only fully troglodytic monastery in France, carved directly into a limestone hillside above the Rhône valley, straddling the communes of Beaucaire and Comps in the Gard department. From its upper terrace, visitors look out over the river toward Tarascon, while the abbey itself — chapel, cells, cisterns and a wine press — was hollowed out of the rock rather than built from quarried stone.

How did a monastery come to be carved into rock?

Hermits first settled in the natural caves here from the 5th century, living an ascetic existence within the hillside. By the 7th century they had adopted the Rule of Saint Benedict, and the hermitage grew into a Benedictine abbey. Monks progressively enlarged and re-excavated the existing cavities to shape a chapel, corridors, living cells and storage rooms, all cut by hand from solid rock. The earliest written reference to the site appears in the will of the Archbishop of Arles, Manassès, drawn up around the year 963.

What is the rock necropolis on the upper terrace?

The upper terrace holds an extensive necropolis of roughly 174 tombs cut straight into the stone. Many follow an anthropomorphic outline, shaped to the contour of a human body, and lie open to the sky rather than sealed beneath slabs. They were carved between the 8th and 12th centuries, likely intended for monks and pilgrims who wished to be buried as close as possible to what was considered sacred ground. For centuries the abbey also drew pilgrims who came to venerate Saint Roman and Saint Trophimus.

What happened to the abbey after the Middle Ages?

Building work continued into the 9th, 10th, 12th and 15th centuries, but monastic life at Saint-Roman came to an end in the 16th century, when the abbey was abandoned. A fortress was later raised nearby, built partly with stone taken from the old monastic structures. The site then faded from memory for centuries; systematic archaeological study only began in the 1960s, led by the local Society of History and Archaeology of Beaucaire. The town of Beaucaire acquired the site in 1988, and in 1990 it was listed as a monument historique, giving it formal protected status.

When is the best time to visit?

The abbey is open on a seasonal schedule. From April to June it can be visited Tuesday to Friday from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and again from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. On public holidays the hours are 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Visits follow a set route through the chapel, the monks' cells, the great hall and the terrace overlooking the rock-cut tombs, so it is worth allowing enough time to walk it at a relaxed pace.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saint-Roman really the only abbey of its kind in France? Yes — it is the only monastery in France carved entirely out of rock, a feature that makes it a rare example of this kind of construction in Western Europe.

Where exactly is the abbey located? It sits on a hilltop spanning the communes of Beaucaire and Comps, in the Gard department, overlooking the Rhône valley.

How many tombs are in the necropolis? Around 174 tombs were cut into the rock on the upper terrace, some quite small, dating from the 8th to the 12th century.

When was the abbey abandoned? Monastic life ended in the 16th century; a fortress built partly from the abbey's own stone was erected nearby afterward.

What are the opening hours? April to June: Tuesday-Friday 2:00 pm-6:30 pm, Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am-1:00 pm and 2:00 pm-6:30 pm, public holidays 2:00 pm-6:30 pm.