The abbey of Saint-Ruf was a house of canons regular in the city of Avignon between the 11th and 18th centuries.

The earliest reference to a church dedicated to Saint Rufus of Avignon [fr] belonging to the cathedral of Avignon is a precept of the Emperor Louis the Blind from 18 August 917. The church, which lay outside the city walls to the south, is called an abbatiola (lit. 'little abbey'). It may have been one of the oldest churches in Avignon, perhaps from as early as the 4th century. Rufus came to be seen as the first bishop of Avignon, he was not regarded as such in the 10th–11th centuries, when his name was associated with the church. He may have been its founder. Possibly he was buried there, as the church was located near a cemetery.^[1]

On 1 January 1039, Bishop Benedict of Avignon granted the dilapidated church to four of his clergymen named Kamaldus, Odilo, Pontius and Durandus, upon their request. This is considered the foundation act of the canonry of Saint-Ruf.^[2][3] According to the grant, the bishop ceded to his clerics the tithes owed to the old church.^[2] The four are described religiose and they dedicated their community to Saint Justus as well as Saint Rufus. At first, they followed the rule of Aachen. Eventually they came to recognize the provost of the cathedral chapter as their rector. In or shortly after 1080, Saint-Ruf was promoted to an abbey by Pope Gregory VII. The first abbot, Arbert, introduced the customary and, by 1084, the rule of Saint Augustine.^[3]

Saint-Ruf grew rapidly, acquiring many priories through donations.^[4] Pope Urban II confirmed its properties and approved its customs in 1092, the first time a pope had formally approved the vocation of the canons regular.^[4][5] In 1085, a monk of Saint-Ruf named Bertrand [ca] was elected bishop of Barcelona. Abbot Arbert himself was elected bishop of Avignon in 1096. He was succeeded as abbot by Lietbert. In 1107, Berengar was elected bishop of Orange and, in 1116, Olegarius was elected bishop of Barcelona.^[6]

Lietbert wrote a new version of the customary, the Liber ordinis. He also wrote a commentary on the Regula tertia, the third rule of Saint Augustine. As a result, when the stricter Ordo monasterii or second rule of Saint Augustine came into vogue, the abbey of Saint-Ruf stuck to the Regula tertia. The cathedral chapters of Maguelone, Mende, Uzès, Tortosa and Tarragona adopted the customs of Saint-Ruf.^[6] Its customs also influenced those of Marbach [fr], Indersdorf [de], Rottenbuch, Chaumousey [fr] and Aureil.^[5][7]

Against the threat of routiers, the abbey walls were crenellated in the 14th century. Damaged during the French Wars of Religion, the abbey was renovated in 1628. It was in such disrepair in 1764 that it was abandoned. During the French Revolution, the buildings were confiscated and sold off as biens nationaux on 14 September 1796. They were declared a monument historique in 1889.^[8]