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'Luxeuil-les-Bains' is a town and commune of eastern France, in the Haute-Saône ''département''. Population (1999): 8,414.

Contents

History

Miscellaneous

External link and references

History

Luxeuil was the Roman 'Luxovium' and contained many fine buildings at the time of its destruction by the Huns under Attila in 451. In 590 St Columban here founded the Abbey of Luxeuil, afterwards one of the most famous in Franche Comté. In the 8th century it was destroyed by the Saracens; afterwards rebuilt, monastery and town were devastated by the Normans, Magyars, and Muslims in the 9th century and pillaged on several occasions afterwards. The burning of the monastery and ravaging of the town is commonly used to illustrate the point that no place in Europe was safe during the invasions.
The abbey schools were celebrated in the middle ages and the abbots had great influence; but their power was curtailed by the emperor Charles V and the abbey was suppressed at the time of the French Revolution.

Miscellaneous

Luxeuil-les-Bains is twinned with Wallingford, UK, and Bad Wurzach, Germany.

External link and references

★ New tourist office website (in French)

★ Tourist office website (in French)

★ Picture of Luxeuil-les-Bains Basilica

★ H Beaumont, ''Etude hist. sur l'abbaye de Luxeuil'', 890-1790 (Lux. 1895)

★ Grandmongin and A Garnier, ''Hist. de la mile et des thermes de Luxeuil'' (Paris, 1866), with 16 plates.

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