Fontevraud L'Abbaye Royale

Abbey · Fontevraud-l'Abbaye ·

Fontevraud L'Abbaye Royale

Abbey · Fontevraud-l'Abbaye ·

Royal abbey, church, museum, former prison, royal tombs

Information

Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, Pl. des Plantagenets, 49590 Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, France Get directions

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

"Ten miles southeast of Saumur lies Fontevraud Abbey, the largest abbey in Europe and resting home of Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Spread over 32 acres, it feels almost like a miniature village, complete with 12th-century monastic buildings like a church, a chapter house, and cloisters. In 1804, Napoléon converted the abbey into a high-security state prison with 2,000 inmates and a reputation as one of the toughest in France. It remained a jail until 1963—even housing members of the French Resistance in the 1940s—and didn’t open to the public until 1975. Today, visitors can take audio tours of the property, though the kitchen (the last remaining Romanesque example in France) and the prison exhibition are currently under renovation."

The Essential Guide to the Loire Valley

Photo by D. Couineau

Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

@ricksteves

706 Postcards · 220 Cities

Loire Travel Guide Resources & Trip Planning Info by Rick Steves

"▲ For its magnificent 12th-century church and excellent modern art museum." - Rick Steves' Europe

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/loire

Fontevraud Abbey and Royal Tombs

Nicola T.

Google

A truly beautiful location. We went for the art exhibition of Glaston Chaissac and saw so much more then we had expected. The art on the other floors of the museum was beautifully curated and full of treasures we hadn't expected to see. We went into the Abbey and wish we'd had more time. It was so quiet at the end of the day, we could wonder and discover without having a schedule and plan. We came across some wonderful installations. I would have given myself a couple of hours to visit the abbey next time. You could even spend the day in the area, there were lovely looking bars and restaurants outside the abbey. Not to mention the vineyards close by to enjoy

Hanne U.

Google

Definitely worth a visit. Amazingly restored, especially considering its long history as a prison. A lot of great info about the history of the abbey and prison. Loved the modern art that was present as well. The art museum is also worth a visit. Very broad and extensive collection.

Maman N.

Google

We super enjoyed the visit. Truly marvelous. The architecture is amazing. The art works are fantastic. There is a lot to see and explore. We get to see the final resting place of Richard the Lionheart and his parents. We enjoyed and finished watching all the animated films. Worth the visit. Highly recommended ☺️👍🏻

Pat W.

Google

it was through Google maps indicating local places to visit that we heard about the Abbey. it was definitely worth a visit. it's now also used for concerts and events and that must be wonderful in such a lovely setting the terrace cafe was reasonable with plenty of seating inside and out

Mark G.

Google

Amazing set of buildings with a uniquely interesting, royal history especially if you are English or French. First a huge abbey with royal residents and burials (English King Henry II and King Richard I 'The Lionheart' (of Robin Hood fame, plus Eleanor of Acquitaine)); then a prison; now a museum and art/cultural space. Worth an hour or two.

Anna D.

Google

It was very beautiful inside and outside. A lot of posters with detailed explanations about the church and its history. Very nice expositions.

georgina B.

Google

It is a truly extraordinary place, I have just visited for the 2nd time, the abbey is so perfectly restored, no embellishments hide the stark beauty of this building. The tombs of the Plantagenets are on display and are an amazing piece of history to see. We stayed 2 nights in the hotel, being able to wander around the abbey at night was a fantastic experience. The reception staff and waiting staff in the hotel and restaurant were kind and welcoming. I could have stayed forever. I am so grateful for the constant work that clearly goes in to maintaining these hugely important historic buildings.

Jill M.

Google

Really enjoyed the abbey and its grounds. The tombs of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lion Heart are on display in the abbey itself. You can also visit the crypt - not much to see but you can see where the excavations took place and there's a short video with English subtitles that tells the story of archaeological research in a light-hearted way. There's plenty to see in the rest of the buildings - information shown English and French - telling the story of abbey life, how it changed over time and then its role as a prison. The separate kitchen building is a little disappointing as there's nothing in it - I'd have loved to have seen it as a reconstructive medieval kitchen, or something similar. There garden are nice to wander around and some massive church bells placed in the garden that you can actually bong yourself! It's impossible to resist bonging them, tbh. Nice cafe with inside and outside seating. If you like a history building, you'll enjoy this. If you have young children, it's big enough that they can run around while you look at the historic stuff. And then they can ring the bells in the garden. We visited in August and didn't need to queue or buy tickets in advance.