St. Julien of Cassagnas
Abbey & Brewery
The Abbey of Saint Julien de Cassagnas is located near Alais (Alès) in the Gard. its brewery had a very short existence.
To provide resources for the Abbey of ND des Neiges, Father Polycarpe (Henri Louis Marthoud) saw fit to keep a small property which belonged to one of his religious.
This was located in the Gard in the town of Saint Julien de Cassagnas near Alais (Alès).
The property was fertile, planted with vines and mulberry trees. It appeared that it could be enlarged, establishing a farm that could be exploited for the benefit of ND des Neiges.
The thought of Dom Polycarpe was practical and in accordance with the traditions of the Order of Citeaux, whose main monasteries had at all times farms where brothers were delegated, with at least one religious priest, to direct the exploitation of the lands dependent on the head quarter.
The monks cultivated up to 123 ha. of land and in particular produced wine that they aged at Notre Dame des Neiges. They developed an aperitif wine called "Cassagnas" whose name and expertise were lost when the property was sold. On September 1, 1892, by Episcopal ordinance of July 18, 1892, the Trappist farm of St-Julien-de-Cassagnas was made a Priory of the Cistercian order, under the title of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Repos.
The brewery was built in 1877 by the monks, but it only operated for 5 or 6 years before being sold to an agricultural SA. It was transformed into a rural building in 1885, then into a house in 1912. Uninhabited since World War II, it was converted into agricultural premises. This building currently serves as a hangar, garage and stable for an equestrian center. (Source: Base Mérimée)