Abra of Poitiers

Saint Abra (c.343-c.360) was the daughter of Hilary of Poitiers and has herself been recognized as a saint.

She was born before her father converted to Christianity and was made a bishop. At her father's advice she took the vow of virginity and became a nun. During her father's exile from Poitiers she and her mother remained there. She died shortly after his return in 360.

She is remembered for her work among the poor and spreading of Christianity in the area around Poitiers, France.

She is said to have died at 17/18 and is remembered in the Pont de Abra bridge, France.

Her feast day is celebrated on 12 December in Poitiers.

References

Poitiers

Poitiers ([pwatje]) is a city on the Clain river in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and also of the Poitou-Charentes region. Poitiers is a major university centre. The centre of town is picturesque and its streets include predominant historical architecture, especially religious architecture and especially from the Romanesque period. Two major military battles took place near the city: in 732, the Battle of Poitiers (also known as the Battle of Tours), in which the Franks commanded by Charles Martel halted the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate, and in 1356, the Battle of Poitiers, a key victory for the English forces during the Hundred Years' War. This battle's consequences partly provoked the Jacquerie.

Geography

Location

The city of Poitiers is strategically situated on the Seuil du Poitou, a shallow gap between the Armorican and the Central Massif. The Seuil du Poitou connects the Aquitaine Basin to the South to the Paris Basin to the North. This area is an important geographic crossroads in France and Western Europe.