Cluny Delegation Heads for the Abbey
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Crossraguel Abbey will play host to a 25-strong delegation from Cluniac sites in Switzerland and France on Saturday, 15th May. Provost Winifred Sloan and Scottish government minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram, MSP will welcome the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Cluny as well as other elected representatives from the Burgundian town and region, tourism officials and members of the Federation of Cluniac Sites.

Well-known historical re-enactors, Denis Reid of Girvan, Hugh Robertson of Kilmarnock and members of Carrick 800 will present two scenes from the history of the abbey

Scotland’s week-end of celebrations, which starts with a free concert by Canty and William Taylor in Glasgow Cathedral and includes exhibitions, coach tours, a children’s bowling competition in Dundonald, a conference and Medieval Fair, has been recognised by the French cultural and educational Federation as being in the top six among nearly three hundred events across the continent celebrating the 1,100th anniversary of the Abbey of Cluny.

A special exhibition in Maybole Castle, showing Crossraguel’s links with Cluny, will open on Wednesday 19th May from 2-4:30 pm and will be open on 19 other days through the season.

The Franco-Swiss visit will establish new cultural links between Ayrshire and a wide network of Cluniac sites in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and England which will lead to increasing numbers of visitors from these countries attracted to Crossraguel - the most complete Cluniac site in the UK.

The abbey is to be re-created in digital form by a team of technicians from Cluny as part of a 100,000 euro investment by the French Federation of Cluniac Sites and a prestigious French college working in collaboration with Historic Scotland. Apart from the 3-D computer images there will be a substantial tourism dossier produced which will form an important element in the planned Pilgrims’ Trail from Paisley to Whithorn via Crossraguel.

Additional information – Black Raven Living History scenarios for Crossraguel

1216

Founding of the Abbey with Duncan Earl of Carrick handing over rights to the land along with the churches of Dailly, Straiton and Kirkoswald, to the monks (Abbot) on the understanding that a daughter Abbey be founded here from Paisley.

As a result of the above only a small oratory was founded as Paisley did not wan t to lose the revenue from the attached churches

1244

The matter is brought before Bishop William in the Episcopal Court at Glasgow when he rules that a Cluniac Monastery should be founded at Crossraguel and endowed with all Paisley’s possessions in Carrick as Earl Duncan had intended.

Further information:

www.cluny2010scotland.info

www.cluny2010.eu

James Brown

baltersan.castle@btinternet.com

Tel : 01292 610 790

Mobile : 01794 787 567