The Renaissance was a flourishing period for the Priory of Solesmes. A succession of prominent figures took the helm. With the support of Dom Michel Bureau, Abbot of La Couture from 1496 to 1518, they embarked on a profound spiritual and monastic renewal.
Particular mention must be made here of Dom Jean Bougler, who served as prior for half a century, from 1505 to 1556. It is to him and his successors that we owe the completion of our church, and above all the two great sculpted ensembles within it, known as the Saints of Solesmes.
Following the death of Dom Jean Bougler, the monastery was placed under commende. Its superior was henceforth a layman who received a portion of the monastery’s income without residing there. Material prosperity declined, but above all, so did the community’s fervour. In 1664, a revival began when the monastery was incorporated into the Congregation of Saint-Maur. At the same time, it returned to a stricter monastic observance. It is to the Maurists that we owe the construction of the building we call the priory, in 1723.
