the 15th century ushered in a new golden age under the rule of abbots pierre and antoine de caraman, whose building programme included in particular the gothic part of the abbey church. the 1626 secularization of the abbey caused the benedictine monks to leave the cloister, which had been a centre of benedictine life for nearly 1,000 years. they were replaced by augustinian canons, under commendatory abbots including well-known cardinals such as mazarin and de brienne.