The building was started in the 11th century, but most of it dates from the 12th century. The tympanum was completed in the 12th century. The facade towers were redone during the 19th century. It is also during this period that the bell tower is added to the roof at the junction between the nave and the transept. In 1830, the cloister was demolished.
This abbey was built in 1041, on the site of an old hermitage, following the influx of pilgrims. This influx was encouraged by the translation of the body of Sainte-Foy, to Agen, which occurred almost 2 centuries earlier by a monk. The Wars of Religion inflicted damage on the pillaged building.
The monastery is dedicated to Saint Faith, a young martyr from Agen (Lot-et-Garonne) who dates back to the beginning of the 4th century. The relics of Saint Faith are known to have been venerated here since 884. The most outstanding building of the monastic complex is the church, built in the 11th century.
The church of Montsalvy, which depended on the abbey of Saint Géraud d'Aurillac, dates from the second half of the 11th century. It is the main vestige of what was in the Middle Ages one of the most important abbeys of the region which still surprises us by its unusual dimensions.
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