Abbaye Sainte-Odile de Baume-les-Dames

The Abbey of Baume-les-Dames, also known as Sainte-Odile Abbey, is a Benedictine abbey located in the municipality of Baume-les-Dames, in the Doubs department of France. Originally known as Palma or Palmense Monasterium, the abbey is traditionally thought to have been founded in Late Antiquity, either in the 4th century by Saint Germain, Archbishop of Besançon, or at the end of the 6th century by Garnier, mayor of the palace of the County of Burgundy. It is dedicated to Saint Odile (c. 660–720), who, according to tradition, took refuge there and recovered her sight. The abbey complex was rebuilt in the 18th century.

According to regional tradition and a compilation formerly preserved at the abbey, Saint Germain was beheaded in 396 at Grand-Fontaine by Arians and is said to have carried his head to Baume-les-Dames, where he had founded an abbey that subsequently became the place of his burial. Another legend concerns King Guntram of Burgundy. After a long hunting expedition in which Garnier had taken part, the king is said to have fallen asleep and had a dream. In this dream, he saw a weasel attempting to cross a river, when an iron bridge appeared, allowing the animal to cross and enter a cave containing a large treasure. Upon awakening, the king reportedly recounted the dream to Garnier, who explained that, while the king was sleeping, he had helped a weasel cross a stream by laying his sword across the watercourse. The animal then crossed this improvised bridge and disappeared into a hole at some distance from the spring. Following this account, the two men are said to have dug at the indicated location, later known as Vigne-du-Trésor, where they discovered a substantial treasure. According to the tradition, the king allocated this treasure to the reconstruction of the Abbey of Baume-les-Dames, which had been heavily damaged during the Hun invasion of 451, after witnessing a cloud rise from the ruins of the abbey from which emerged a hand with outstretched fingers, the palm turned toward him.

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