HAUTECOMBE, ABBEY OF

Benedictine monastery of Our Lady in Savoy, France, Archdiocese of Chambéry. Founded in 1121 by Benedictines from Aulps, an abbey affiliated with molesme, it joined the Cistercians in 1135 at the suggestion of St. Bernard. St. amadeus, later bishop of Lausanne, became abbot in 1139, and the abbey moved to a better location on Lake Bourget donated by the Count of Savoy. From 1184 to 1502 members of the house of Savoy were buried in the abbey, of which they were patrons for many years. From 1439 to 1451 and after 1505 Hautecombe was a commendatory abbey and suffered a decline. It was administered by the government of Savoy from 1700 to 1742. Under Spanish occupation (1742–48) it regained its independence and was rebuilt in baroque style. Suppressed in 1792, it fell into ruin. The restoration begun by King Charles-Felix in 1824 was completed by Maria Christina in 1843; both sovereigns were buried in the abbey. Italian Cistercians from La Consolata in Turin

were replaced by French from Sénanque in 1864, and in 1922 Benedictines from solesmes occupied the abbey, which has edited translations of the Missal.

Bibliography: l. h. cottineau, Répertoire topobibliographique des abbayes et prieurés, 2 v. (Mâcon 1935–39) 1:1383–84. r. gazeau, Catholicisme. Hier, aujourd'hui et demain, ed. g. jacquemet 5:531–533. b. griesser, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 5:37.

[l. j. lekai]