The abbey was founded in 1076 on the top of Colline Saint-Jean (St. John's Hill) as a small monastery for a community of
Augustinian canons, near the site of an
ancient Roman Christian cemetery. Receiving early support and confirmation from the
Counts of Soissons and
King Philip I, a
Romanesque cathedral was constructed and dedicated to
St. John the Baptist to replace the existing structure. During the 13th century, the abbey was almost entirely rebuilt again in
Gothic style and expanded to include a vaulted
cloister, a vast
refectory, dormitories,
chapter house, and agricultural facilities. As a result of the newly expanded facilities, Saint-Jean-des-Vignes became one of the wealthiest institutions in the country, maintaining close ties with the
University of Paris. During the
Hundred Years' War, further construction on the church was paused, and the site was used as a military headquarters for
Charles VI. Ramparts and fortifications were constructed around the hill, and a
moat was dug around the site. Despite these protective measures, the abbey was ultimately overrun and looted. After the liberation of Soissons by
Joan of Arc in 1429, construction resumed on the towers, and the abbey was reconsecrated in 1478 by Jean Milet, Bishop of Soissons. Construction concluded with the completion of the last tower in 1520, and In 1544, the abbey lent its nave to
Charles V for a short stay in preparation for the
Treaty of Crépy. By the middle 15th century,
Henry II decided to further strengthen the strategic defenses of Soissons. The Saint-Jean hill, with the abbey, was deemed too dangerous by the engineers, who proposed razing the monastery altogether. The town of Soissons protested vehemently, and Bishop Mathieu de Longuejoue, a close ally of the king, managed to save the abbey and incorporate it within the city walls. In return, the monastery was forced to reduce its vineyard enclosures and its territory to be included within the city limits. The abbey was severely damaged and looted by
Protestant Huguenots during the
Wars of Religion, and ultimately abandoned after the expulsion of monks during the
French Revolution. Although the church was lightly restored in the 17th century under the direction of the
Congregation of France, the abbey never regained its prominence, and was left in ruins. The site was sold by
Napoleon I in 1804 to the bishop of Soissons, who further dismantled the structure to restore the nearby
Soissons Cathedral and turned the existing site into a quarry. Throughout the 19th century, the abbey, which was partially put to use as an arsenal, sustained further severe damage, first by fire during the
Franco-Prussian War, and from heavy German shelling during
World War I. Despite these damages, the structure survived relatively intact through
World War II, and was acquired by the town of Soissons in the 1970s. The remaining buildings are now occupied by various educational and heritage-related organizations. ==Sources==