A beautiful rare antique French medal dating to the 19th century. The large pendant depicts with fine details, Mary standing above a bridge. Around the edges, you can read the Latine inscription:

"ecclesiam consecravit ill et rev petrus valentinensis episcopus posuerunt me custodem"
"He consecrated the church ill and rev Peter the bishop of Valens made me guardian"

At the bottom, there is the date 24 September 1856.

On the back, there is a latine text:
"S Raynaldo de cistercio abb IV B Othone de morimondo abbIII fundatur monasterium de aquabella guillelmo abb restauratur stephano IV"
"1137 S Raynaldo of the cistercio abb IV B Otho of Morimondo abbot III founded the monastery of aquabella abbot williamlla is restored to Stephen IV 1816 "

This religious pendant commemorates the 40 years of restoration of the Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Aiguebelle 1816. Notre-Dame d'Aiguebelle Abbey is a French Cistercian abbey founded by the Abbey of Morimond in 1137 on the borders of the Dauphiné and Provence, in the current communes of Montjoyer and Réauville in the department of Drôme. https://abbaye-aiguebelle.cef.fr

CONDITION: good with some normal signs of ages.

Height: 1 5/8" (4cm)
Width: 1 1/4" (3.3cm)
Weight: 12g
MATERIAL: metal