Viviers on the Rhone – steeped in history and more saints than you can……

Viviers is an amazing little town or even city, as it has a cathedrale. located in the French Departement of Ardeche.

A small walled city, Viviers nuzzles between the hills behind and the bank of the Rhone, where the River Royale tied up at a little wharf alongside this very sleepy city!

Viviers in late Roman times was capital of the pays Vivarais and today, it is still the see of the bishop of Ardeche, with the diocese including the Department of Ardeche.

It was suppressed by the Concordat of 1802, and united to the See of Mende, re-established in 1822.

The “Old Charter”, drawn up in 950 by Bishop Thomas, the most complete document concerning the primitive Church of Viviers, mentions five bishops, who lived at Alba Augusta (modern Aps): Saint Januarius, Saint Septimus, Saint Maspicianus, Saint Melanius, and Saint Avolus, the last a victim of the invasion of the barbarian Chrocus (the exact date of which is unknown).

After the ravages suffered by Alba Augusta, the new bishop, St. Auxonius, transferred the see to Viviers about 430 and promotus was probably the first Bishop of Viviers, documents also mentioning later several canonized bishops; Saints Lucian and Valerius (fifth and sixth centuries); St. Venantius, disciple of St. Avitus, who was present at the councils held in 517 and 535; St. Melanius II (sixth century); St. Eucherius, St. Firminus, St. Aulus, St. Eumachius, St. Longinus (seventh century); St. Arcontius, martyr (date unknown, perhaps later than the ninth century.

[Pictured: The rooftops of Viviers]

It seems that the Diocese of Viviers was disputed, for a long time, by the metropolitan Sees of Vienne and Arles, but from the eleventh century its dependence on Vienne was not contested and John II, cardinal and Bishop of Viviers (1073-95), had the abbatial church of Cruas consecrated by Urban II, and accompanied him to the Council of Clermont.

In the thirteenth century, under the reign of St. Louis of France, the Bishop of Viviers was obliged to recognize the jurisdiction of the Seneschal of Beucaire and by the treaty of 10 July, 1305, Philip IV of France obliged the bishops of Viviers to admit the suzerainty of the kings of France over all their temporal domain.

Several saints are connected with the history of the diocese; the Spanish deacon and martyr, St. Vincent (end of third century), protector of the cathedral church and of the diocese; St. Just, Bishop of Lyons (end of the fourth century), belonging to the family of the Counts of Tournon; St. Montan, hermit (fifth century); St. Ostianus (sixth century), confessor, a relative of Saint Sigismund, King of the Burgundians; the Blessed Amadeus, founder of the Benedictine Abbey of Mazan (d. 1140); St. Benezet, shepherd (1165-86), builder of the bridge of Avignon, b. in Vivarais; the Blessed Guigues I, fifth prior of the Carthusian mother house Grande Chartreuse, friend of St. Bernard, and writer of the “Statuta ordinis Carthusiensis” (twelfth century); St. Francis Regis.

[Pictured above – a street in Viviers, just oozing history!]

So are you getting the picture? 

Viviers has been a very significant location for the Catholic Church through the ages – to see the amazing Viviers and its historic buildings visit :http://www.travelmole.tv/watch_vdo.php?sid=&id=14559

A Report by The Mole on location in Europe