MONTAMBERT

The history of Montambert is closely linked to the Benedictine monks who settled here in the Middle Ages. In the 11th century, the site was offered by the Count of Nevers to the powerful Abbey of Cluny, who quickly built a Benedictine priory there, i.e. observing the rule of Saint-Benoît, which devotes a large part of the day to prayer but also to work. The monks made this borderland, at the crossroads of three ancient provinces (the Nivernais, Burgundy and Bourbonnais), close to the Loire and once entirely covered in forest, their home. They cleared part of the woods, cultivated the bare land and dug more than thirty ponds to raise fish. They gave the village its current appearance, which is still the charm of the site today. The priory of Montambert, dedicated to Saint-Pierre d'Antioche, belonged to La Charité-sur-Loire, the eldest daughter of Cluny, and was a hospice and resting place for monks travelling through the vast Cluniac network. The building underwent extensive alterations in the 17th century and was sold as national property during the French Revolution. It was returned to religious use in 1842.
In the Montambert woods, in the heart of the Buremont state forest, don't miss the 300-year-old "Chêne du Tiers".