We have thought of visiting for a long time, and passed by several times ,finally we were in ; and what a pleasant surprise to see something wonderful, We repeated and have other posts on it but found me new older pictures that should be in my blog, This is Loire river area in the in the Maine et Loire dept 49 of the Pays de la Loire region of my belle France, And this is the Fontevraud l’Abbaye ,part III or the Notre Dame Abbey of Fontevraud !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
We are used to see these wonderful monuments in my belle France, but this one was there for king Richard the Lion Hearted. For the lovers of history like me this is tops, and of course great architecture. I have written plenty on the history and architecture will give some more to go along with the new pictures in the blog. Bear with me please, this is a condense history , there is so much on it. The town of Fontevraud-l’Abbaye just south of Saumur is famous for its abbey Notre-Dame, dynastic necropolis of Plantagenets, one of the most important abbey complexes of Europe, at the crossroads of the departments of Maine-et-Loire, Indre-et-Loire and Vienne, as well as the regions of Pays of the Loire, Centre-Val de Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
It was founded in 1101 by Robert d’Arbrissel, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe. Necropolis of the Plantagenêts, then Royal Abbey, it was run for almost two centuries by abbesses, half of them from the royal family of the Bourbons. Abandoned in 1792,after the French revolution, the Abbey was transformed into a prison from 1804 to 1963. The monastic complex today consists of two monasteries, a Romanesque kitchen, the 12C Saint-Benoît Chapel, as well as a cloister, a chapter house, and 16C infirmaries. The Saint-Lazare priory dates from the 12C and currently houses a hotel residence.
Once you past the main entrance, a few dozen meters away stands a strange bulb of dark stone, with a roof decorated with small chimneys and sculpted fish scales. It is called the Romanesque kitchen, but its 28 meters high, its neat ornaments its strange octagonal shape casts doubt on its true function… It is thought that it would rather be a 12C smokehouse allowing the conservation of Loire fish but nothing is certain, the building retains a part of mystery, From the Plantagenets, kings of England ; the recumbent effigies of the latter now sit enthroned in the nave of the abbey church On this subject, observe the position of the latter, do you see anything strange? She’s a little taller than her husband, whom she hated fiercely, and then she’s holding a book! By having the recumbent figures made, she used this stratagem to pose as a superior and cultivated being.That is ALIÉNOR !
Later , Napoleon I decided in 1804 to convert it into a prison. One of the toughest in the country: in the 19C, life expectancy was eight months ! hidden away in a corner of the abbey are the disturbing chicken coops. These are small cells with latticed doors which housed prisoners of morals, to be isolated from the others… Graffiti of prisoners also remains on the exterior walls of the refectory, while the treasure room exhibits objects of the latter, in the image of those decks of cards crafted on the sly and concealed in the frames. The former great dormitory, which now hosts exhibitions, and the dreaded chapter house, where sisters confessing their sins were chastised in front of the audience. The place will later serve as the prison’s internal court,
Rebuilt in the 16C, the cloister is the heart of the monastery. The daily life of the nuns is organized around it. Its galleries invite meditation and give rise to processions. It was transformed into a walkway for prisoners in the 19C. Around 1489, the construction of the Magdeleine cloister, probably with four galleries. The contemporary excavations, the results of which were presented on Saturday June 8, 2013, fortunately made it possible to shed light on the side of the cloister in which were found the two bays illuminating the chapter house as well as the door with the Romanesque arcade giving access to it.
And the museum is finally open after my visits there, The Museum of Modern Art, Martine and Léon Cligman -national collections opened in 2021, Paintings, drawings and sculptures by 19C and 20C artists, antiques and objects from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas… more than 900 works make up the collection , some of which are signed by great artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Degas, Juan Gris ,Derain, Delaunay ,Vlaminck or Germaine Richier., bringing a look that is both intimate and new to modern art.
The official Fontevraud l’Abbaye: https://www.fontevraud.fr/en/royal-abbey/discover-fontevraud-royal-abbey/
The official City of Fontevraud l’Abbaye on the abbey complex: https://fontevraud-abbaye.fr/tourisme-fontevraud/abbaye-fontevraud/
The Saumur tourist office on the Abbey of Fontevraud: https://www.ot-saumur.fr/en/fiches/abbaye-royale-de-fontevraud-5344942/
There you go folks, another beautiful historical dandy monument in my belle France, This one is tops , and a must to visit me think, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Fontevraud l’Abbaye ,part III as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 