To build a few kilometers from the Abbey of Arles Monmazhur, in X century Benedictine monks had to drain local marshes. The land on which the monastery was built, was donated to the Order of a noble lady, and in 948 he had his tab.

The monastery was well known among the pilgrims who came to Monmazhur to atone for his sins by making a donation in favor of the Order. Already at the end of X century Monmazhur turned into one of the richest abbeys of Provence, and remained so until the XVIII century. Since the XI century in the vaults of the monastery found last shelter olive graphs.

Externally, the monastery was built on a hill, more like a fortress, so powerful look of its construction. In the XIV century abbey appearance complemented impressive walls designed to protect the Benedictine brothers from encroachments mercenaries. At the end of the XVI century, during the religious wars, the thick walls of the monks did not help - they were evicted men and brethren two years lived in Arles.

The last abbot of the abbey (the second half of the XVIII century) was the Cardinal de Rohan, a member of the controversial episode with the purchase of a fabulously expensive diamond necklace on behalf of the Queen Marie-Antoinette, the history of this portfolio has been described in one of the novels of Alexandre Dumas. Sam de Rohan, who wanted to curry favor with the Queen, was used by swindlers, and then punished the king.

During the Great French Revolution, the abbey was nationalized and sold. Dilapidated monastery buildings were bought near the middle of the next century.

Today in the ensemble of the abbey can see a chapel, a watchtower, a building in the classical style, and older buildings. By the founding of the abbey is semi-subterranean chapel of Saint-Pierre, a century later, it was built Church of Our Lady. A little farther is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, built in the XII century pilgrims.

Today, the abbey is protected by UNESCO as a monument to history. When the Abbey is an art gallery where exhibitions of paintings by Van Gogh and other famous painters.