Cluny, an exceptional treasure

The tour of Cluny Abbey has been extended! Discover the permanent exhibition of Cluny's monetary treasure revealed during archaeological excavations.

In September 2017, archaeological excavations carried out in the gardens of Cluny Abbey by the Université Lyon 2 - CNRS UMR 5138 and directed by Anne Baud and Anne Flammin revealed an incredible monetary treasure : more than 2,200 Cluniac silver denarii and obols and 21 gold dinars. The treasure was found on the site of theformer infirmary, which was completely destroyed during major reconstruction work in the ^mid-18th century. Combining both gold and silver objects and coins, it raises many questions about the reasons for its burial and the identity of its owner.

This is the first time that such a treasure trove has been found in an enclosed space!

After restoration and in-depth study, a large part of the treasure will be installed at the heart of the abbey in the Galilée passage in summer 2025, thus enriching the visitor trail. On this occasion, the overall scenography of the Galileo passage, the gallery that linked the cloister and the Maior ecclesia, and which features display cases containing reliquaries, will be redesigned, highlighting the gallery's architectural lighting and arranging the display cases laterally in keeping with the use of the space. The treasure represents a significant addition to the abbey's collections, comprising 2,113 Cluniac denarii and 150 obols wrapped in a cloth pouch lined with leather, as well as a small leather pouch containing a ring with a seal and 21 gold Arab dinars, an ingot consisting of a folded sheet of gold placed in a small leather pocket, and a pastille in the same precious metal.

At the time, the Order of Cluny was spreading its priories throughout the western world. Through a complex network of exchanges across Europe, Cluny's major possessions channelled their income back to the mother house, which had been authorised to mint its own money since the ^10th century. Most of the silver obols and denarii thus come from the abbey's coinage, although some come from other French monetary centres (Meaux, Paris, Orléans, Chalons). The gold signet ring and the 21 gold dinars minted in North Africa (Nul Lamta workshop) and in the Muslim Spain of al-Andalus (Almeria, Seville and Granada) between 1120 and 1144 are much rarer. The abbey of Cluny had contacts with Spain, which was then part of the Muslim sphere of influence, so it is logical to find dinars there. However, to date, archaeologists have only discovered 10 samples of gold dinars in France, which shows that such exchanges were reserved for important people.

In addition to the monetary treasure, the passage will present the staff of the crosier of an abbot of Cluny, known as the crosier of Saint Hugues, abbot from 1049 to 1109, as well as his shrine, made in the mid-19th century.

in the ^mid-19th century. The presence of the staff of Saint Hugues completes the previous deposits made by the DRAC Auvergne to the CMN (2019), of the reliquaries of Saint Odon, Saint Benoît, Saint Blaise and Saint Lazare, commissioned for the Abbey of Cluny in the ^17th

and ^18th centuries. These four gilded wooden reliquaries are a reminder of the historical and spiritual importance of the cult of relics within Cluny monasticism and the abbey itself.

The display cases will be renewed to harmonise the presentation of the passage with the existing museography in the small cloister. The treasure will be presented in a way that explains its discovery and composition, the results of scientific analyses and its restoration. The showcase will ensure that the various elements of the treasure are well preserved. An impression of the seal will be displayed next to the ring to make it easier to read. Lastly, the security arrangements in the Passage Galilée will be reinforced.

The most beautiful piece in the treasure trove is undoubtedly thegold signet ring, comprising a large bezel at the centre of which is an antique intaglio in red sardony. The intaglio depicts a young bust of the hero Hercules . The inscription "A VE TE" (Latin greeting) is engraved around the intaglio in the gold band. Signet rings were commonly found in the Middle Ages between the ^11th and ^12th centuries. Such a jewel was worth more than all the rest of the booty put together. However, it is difficult to retrace its steps through the centuries, and to know whether the ring was private or had an official function. The engraving AVETE refers to the Gospel of Saint Matthew (28, 9), in which the risen Christ appears to the holy women who have come to the tomb and greets them with the greeting "Avete", before they prostrate themselves at his feet to adore him.