Strata Florida was founded by Cistercian Monks in the year 1164 CE, the Abbey's chapel was consecrated much later in the year 1204. The Cistercian Monks at Strata Florida eventually became quite wealthy and influential Ystrad Fflw had arguably become the cultural center of medieval Wales. Among the great works that were produced here were the Brut y Tywysogion (one of the first chronicles of Welsh History written in the Welsh Language) and the ballad of Mabinogion. One of the foremost poets of the middle ages, Dafydd ap Gwilym was known to have lived and compiled his works inside Strata Florida. Strata Florida was so important in the political and cultural spheres of Wales that the Welsh princes, including the famous Llywelyn the Great often held council there to decide the major political issues of the day.
Unfortunately the prosperity and influence of the Cistercian Monastery began to decline following the English conquest of Wales in 1277 CE. Perhaps this is representative of the decline of Welsh culture in general, the confiscation of Welsh lands under English nobles styled "Marcher-Lords" marks the beginning of the gradual Anglicization of Wales. This period marks the beginning of the troubles that the Cistercian Monks of Strata Florida faced during the tail-end of the Middle Ages.
During the Welsh war of Independence the problems faced by the Abbey grew worse. In 1401 the English King Henry IV and his son lead an army in pillaging Strata Florida, after the monks there were found to be sympathetic to the Welsh rebel leader, Owain Glyndŵr. Following this incident the monks were expelled from the Abbey. Strata Florida was used as an English military base for the remainder of the war. In 1415 following English victory in the Glyndŵr rising the Abbey was returned to the Cistercian Order, though the monks would never truly recover from the devastation incurred upon them during the conflict.
The protestant reformation and the rise of Anglicanism in England would mark the final death of Strata Florida. In the 1540's Henry VIII the founder of Anglicanism assumed direct control over religion in England. As a consequence of this many monasteries including Strata Florida Abbey were plundered and destroyed by English Soldiers, often being converted into manor houses for use of the nobility.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2012/07/strata_florida_abbey.html
http://strataflorida.org.uk/
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-English-conquest-of-Wales/
It’s sad to imagine how many times things like this happened and how much history has been lost because of it...
ReplyDeleteThe complex history between England and Wales shows just how deep their animosity can run - I wonder how soon it will be before Wales attempts another vote for independence. The transformations of abbeys like Strata Florida into manor houses seems disrespectful to their original purpose as well. How did other abbeys fare through the rise of the Anglican Church? Did they just switch denominations or were they destroyed like Strata Florida?
ReplyDeleteMany of them were destroyed during an event called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Though I'm positive that some have survived to this day, considering that Anglican monastic orders in the traditional catholic style do exist.
DeleteMany monasteries stand in ruins today t/o England, only shells of their former selves. My in-laws just travelled in Wales this fall and sent me many a photo of a frame of a church or monastery. The Protestant Reformation t/o Europe sought to abolish monasteries, thus changing the landscape of Europe. The Anglican orders are a much more recent phenomenon and should not be associated with the early Anglican church. If you were a monk or a nun, you might have fled for the Continent in the 1500s or risk being sent home or married.
DeleteMaclen, raises a good point about the history of Wales. We often think of Scotland and Ireland and their quests for independence. This makes me wonder if there was a higher rates of assimilation during the Medieval ages. I also wonder why the convent were plundered after the reformation...maybe the Monks were not sympathetic to the rise of Anglicization?
ReplyDelete>This makes me wonder if there was a higher rates of assimilation during the Medieval ages
DeleteIt was beneficial for a medieval king to enforce linguistic uniformity in his realm, for administrative reasons. This actually was one of the causes of the Glyndŵr rising as the Welsh resented the enforcement of the English Language at the expense of their native tongue. Assimilation had a higher during the middle ages because assimilation was enforced.
>plundered after the reformation...maybe the Monks were not sympathetic to the rise of Anglicization?
There are two reasons. The first is that Monasteries and Abbeys were often wealthy, making them a tempting target. The second reason was that Catholic Monks did not respect the authority of the crown over religious matters, making them a threat in the eyes of the monarchy. This happened to Monasteries in England as well as Wales.
Advertisement: HIST 225!!! Offered next spring. I didn't catch the issue with Assimilation/what was meant, but abolishing the monasteries were a central part of the Reformation--not only because of the push against celibacy but also because they were seen as institutions that had strayed from the vision of the Bible. Iconoclasm, the tendency to destroy and break images, even relics, art, and sculpture is an early tendency of the Reformation and has serious repercussions for the medieval world. During the Reformation, monasteries served as places for nobility to get wealthy and/or provide living quarters! Martin Luther and his wife lived in the Black Cloister of Wittenberg for instance.
DeleteHistory is a complex thing and there is a lot that we still don’t know and might never know. As places are taken over and passed along to other people, we lose track of some of the history just as a message whispered around the room changes or tales passed through generations are partially forgotten or changed. That’s why we still find lost treasures, ruins, and historical items.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like yet another amazing place that I want to visit when I go abroad next semester. It's sad to think that only remains are left so many places, but they still teach us so much about history.
ReplyDelete