Come and visit the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud and plunge into the heart of history.
This vast monastic city has known an incredible destiny that we will reveal to you throughout this article. First an abbey, then a prison, it became a real cultural center in 1975.
Classified as a historic monument and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the abbey is distinguished by its architectural beauty and unique past.
In this article, we give you all our advices to visit the Fontevraud Abbey. Find our opinion and experience in pictures.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Why visit Fontevraud Abbey?
The Abbey of Fontevraud is a monument not to be missed in the Loire Valley for several reasons:
- History,
The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe inherited from the Middle Ages. It is a place full of history located in the heart of the Loire Valley and listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The beauty of the place,
The abbey is an architectural marvel. You'll love getting lost for half a day or even a full day. So many details are offered to the curious eyes!
- The multiple destinies of the abbey,
Founded by Robert d'Arbrissel in 1101, the abbey made its mark on the church world in 1115 when an abbess (feminine of abbot, superior of an abbey) was appointed to head it. The monastery also served as a necropolis for the Plantagenet royal family. Following the Revolution of 1789, Napoleon decided to transform the abbey into a prison. Since 1975, the monastery has been operating as a cultural center.
Is the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud worth it? Our opinion:
Of course you can! We really recommend you to visit the Abbaye de Fontevraud. This dive through the centuries, and the different lives of the abbey, will seduce young and old!
You will have the chance to walk in a unique place at the crossroads of history. Even for people who are not passionate about the subject, the abbey is worth a visit! The beauty of the place, its architecture and its green spaces make the visit very pleasant.
For those who love historical facts, you will enjoy it. The monastery is full of details about its unique past. Discover the secrets of the largest monastic city in Europe!
This is one of the must-see attractions around Saumur.
Why is Fontevraud Abbey famous?
The abbey is known for its scale. It is the largest monastic city inherited from the Middle Ages. Can you imagine its size?
Classified as a historical monument in 1840, the monastery has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. All these distinctions attest to the unique character of the place.
But the abbey is famous for many other reasons:
- It was run by abbesses for almost two centuries. This was unheard of in church circles at that time!
- It houses the famous recumbents of Plantagenets.
- It was transformed into a prison between 1804 and 1963. It was known as one of the toughest prisons in France!
One of the most fascinating attractions in the Loire Valley!(see our list)
WHERE TO STAY IN Saumur
Downtown
Enjoy the city, its restaurants and beautiful architecture.
- Hotel Saint Pierre - a historic stay! - see prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Château La Marquise - prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Anne d'Anjou - prices, pictures and availability
In the countryside around
Looking for a bit of peace and quiet, without straying too far from the city of Angers? Here's our suggestion:
- Hotel Demeure de la Vignole - prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel Joly Foudres - unusual in barrels - prices, pictures and availability
- Hotel de l'abbaye de Fontevraud - prices, pictures and availability
Our favorite rooms in the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
To give you a taste of what you can see in the abbey, here are our three favorites from our visit!
We were completely charmed by the Romanesque Kitchens and their particular architecture. You will agree that this building is atypical, right?
Afterwards, we succumbed to the tranquility of the cloister of the Grand-Moûtier. Between its vaults, its columns, and its garden, how to resist?
And our last favorite is the chapter house! You will be dazzled by its sculpted decorations, its paintings and its checkerboard floor.
A little history
The history of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud in a few key dates:
- 1101: Robert d'Arbrissel founds the monastery.
- 1115: He appoints Petronille de Chemillé as director of the place. Subsequently, 36 abbesses succeeded her despite the protests of the men of the community.
- 1200: Eleanor of Aquitaine retires to Fontevraud. She had her husband Henry II Plantagenet and her son Richard the Lionheart buried there.
- 1491: Abbess René de Bourbon enforces the new monastic rule and renovates the abbey.
- 1792: The nuns are expelled from the monastery following the French Revolution. This marks the end of 800 years of monastic life.
- 1814: According to Napoleon's decision, the abbey is transformed into a prison.
- 1975: The monastic city becomes a cultural center under the impulse of Olivier Guichard, President of the Pays de la Loire Region.
- 2021: The Museum of Modern Art opens its doors in the abbey.
Practical tips: Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, France
Where is the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud?
The abbey is located in the commune of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye (49590), in the heart of the Loire Valley.
- Driving time from Saumur: 15min.
- Driving time from Nantes: 1h55.
- Driving time from Tours: 55min.
- Driving time from Angers: 1h10.
- Driving time from Orleans: 2h10.
How to get there
We recommend that you get to the abbey by car, as it is located near several major cities such as Saumur, Tours and Angers.
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- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
You can also get there by public transport. From Saumur, you can take a bus of the line 1 in direction of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye. See the routes here.
Parking
If you choose to go by car to the Abbey of Fontevraud, you can park in the free parking lot located on the Place du 8 Mai 1945 at the entrance of the town.
Please note that campers are not allowed in this area.
You also have the possibility to park in the free parking of the Arceau located in Montsoreau. However, it will be necessary to foresee a 50min walk to reach the Abbey of Fontevraud, or to take the bus of the line 1 in direction of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye. Find the schedule here.
Best time to visit the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
You will have understood that the abbey is a place not to be missed, but what time of the year should you choose?
We recommend that you visit the monastery during the summer and spring seasons. This way, you will be able to enjoy the outside of the abbey more easily. Especially since the climate of the Loire Valley in summer is completely bearable for people sensitive to heat.
In general, if you want to avoid the crowds, we recommend that you come in the morning as soon as it opens. If you want to bypass the peak of the traffic between 11am and 4pm, you can also decide to come at the end of the day. However, don't forget that the abbey is huge and that in such a short time, you may not have time to see everything before closing time!
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How long to visit this monument and main difficulties
Depending on your interest in the area, you can easily spend half a day or even a full day there.
Half a day is sufficient if you do not wish to visit the Museum of Modern Art.
As far as difficulties are concerned, we found that we had to take several stairs during our visit. For people with weak knees, this is not ideal. We must also keep in mind that it is a great monastic city. You will therefore have to walk around for a long time.
Advice on how to visit
The abbey does not really have a predefined direction of visit. The place is so vast that you can easily spend hours there. It all depends on what you want to see.
For example, we did not respect the numbering indicated on the plan of the abbey during our visit.
We recommend several options:
- To leave on the traces of History,
- Stroll outside and enjoy the beauty of the place,
- Diving through various art forms,
In the 1st option, you will be happy to visit the abbey church and its Plantagenet recumbents. Also, don't forget to visit the chapter house. You will learn more about the important role of the abbesses at Fontevraud. Also visit the prison exhibition to understand how the abbey was transformed into a prison.
The 2nd option is lighter. You will start your visit with an architectural discovery: the Romanesque kitchens. Then, you can enjoy the quietness of the cloister of the Grand-Moûtier and meditate for a few moments. Walking through the gallery of the cloister, you can observe all the details that adorn the entrance to the chapter house. Stroll through the gardens and recharge your batteries in an exceptional place!
In the last option, you will have no choice but to visit the museum of modern art in the abbey. In a second time, you will be able to go in search of the contemporary works hidden in the monastic city. For lovers of bell art, you will be delighted to discover the exhibition À toute volée.
The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud can be visited in several ways, it's up to you now to determine what will suit you best!
Fontevraud Abbey with children
For people with small children, there are several staircases. It is not ideal if you come with a stroller for example, we recommend you rather the baby carrier.
We did not feel that the abbey was particularly lively for children. However, they can enjoy the green spaces and have fun looking for the bells and the contemporary artworks hidden in the abbey.
Schedules and prices
Opening hours:
During the low season, the abbey is closed every Tuesday. Otherwise, it is open between 10am and 6pm.
During the middle season, the abbey is open every day from 10 am to 7 pm.
During the high season, it is open between 10am and 8pm every day.
We advise you to consult the official website directly to check the opening hours, as they evolve every year and change according to the seasons.
Price:
Price of the visit of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud: 12€ (7,50€ in reduced price).
The price of the museum of modern art depends on the season: count between 6 and 11€ for a full price.
For more information on the guided tours, you can visit the official website of the abbey.
Restaurants
When a monastery becomes a place of delicacies...
The Gourmet Terrace
For a pleasant lunch outside, the Terrasse Gourmande offers a fast and local food service within the abbey. Depending on the weather, you can also eat inside, but space is limited.
You can find salads, sandwiches or quiches at very reasonable prices. They also offer desserts, including organic ice cream.
However, remember to check the opening dates and times of the Terrasse Gourmande here before you come.
The Michelin starred restaurant
If you wish to live an unforgettable gastronomic experience in a unique place, we recommend you to try Fontevraud Le Restaurant in the abbey.
You can discover the cuisine of the starred chef Thibaut Ruggeri who offers the Moon menu. You should count 89€ (excluding drinks) for this menu served in 4 parts.
This experience will appeal to lovers of contemporary, nature-friendly cuisine.
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Hotel de l'Abbaye de Fontevraud
As a continuation of your experience at the abbey, you have the possibility to sleep there. Discovery of the Fontevraud Hotel.
Immersion in the Saint-Lazare priory
Located in the heart of the monastic city, Fontevraud l'Hôtel offers a unique experience: spending a night in the abbey!
The Prieuré Saint Lazare has been completely reinvented by interior designers into a contemporary 4-star hotel. The hotel has 54 rooms that are quite sober, but respectful of the historical atmosphere. We appreciated that the hotel is simple to leave all its splendor to the places.
We loved being able to enjoy the abbey in a different way. The light effects are striking once the night falls. Each illuminated building is revealed in a new light.
It is also very pleasant to be able to walk around the Royal Abbey in a more intimate atmosphere. A real feeling of calm emanates from the place.
Consult the current offers at Fontevraud L'Hôtel
Before starting the visit: the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
If you have parked in the parking lot of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, you will only have to walk 4 minutes to reach the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud through the village of the town.
The Saint Catherine's chapel and its lantern of the dead
On your way, you will not miss to take a look at the Saint Catherine's chapel and its lantern of the dead. It is estimated that this funeral chapel was built in the 13th century.
The church of Saint-Michel and its caquetoire
As you continue along the road, you will discern the church of Saint-Michel and its caquetoire at the end of the alley. The caquetoire is none other than this covered space located at the entrance of the church which looks like a canopy. This term comes from the French verb "caqueter" which means "to chat". At that time, parishioners met there to exchange news.
Right next to the church, you will find the Tourist Office of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye. You can go there to learn more about the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. Before going, we advise you to check the opening hours here.
Beginning of the visit: the courtyard and the museum
Before entering the Fontevraud Abbey, you must pass through the courtyard of the Outside.
The courtyard of the Outside: place of transition with the outside
The vast courtyard outside the religious enclosure is called the courtyard of the Outside. This space marks the transition between the interior and exterior of the abbey. It is a place of exchange with the street. At that time, we could find stables, storage buildings for goods and housing. The abbey palace, also called the abbess' house, was home to the abbesses of Bourbon.
At the end of the 18th century, the courtyard was renovated. You can then access it by crossing a splendid logis-porch. As you can see in the photo, this entrance building reinforces the sense of wonder for visitors.
The Cour du Dehors bears witness to the different lives of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. Once transformed into a prison, a barracks was built there in 1828. The goal was to be able to monitor the outside of the prison.
Nowadays, this place is at the heart of new development projects to revitalize the town of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye.
The Museum of Modern Art of Fontevraud: the Cligman collection
Since May 2021, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud has opened the doors of its museum of modern art.
It is following a donation of more than 800 works to the State and the Region of Pays de la Loire that the museum comes to life.
Martine and Léon Cligman offer a new cultural development to the Abbaye de Fontevraud. The couple, passionate about art, collected throughout their lives paintings, drawings and sculptures by 19th and 20th century artists, as well as antiques and objects from outside Europe.
During your visit to the museum, you will be able to admire a heterogeneous collection of works that reflect the couple's unique view of modern art. Take the time to admire the 3 works on the picture above:
- Top left: a cephalomorphic funerary mask, between 900 and 1200, Peru.
- In the center: a bronze sculpture La Vierge folle, Germaine Richier, 1946, France.
- Right: a painting The Young Girls, Edouard Goerg, 1928, Australia/France.
Small highlight: the Museum of Modern Art is worth a visit! It even got a first star in the Michelin Green Guide 2022 Châteaux de la Loire, Pays de la Loire.
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The Romanesque kitchens and the courtyard of the Écrou
After talking so much about food, let's keep the momentum going and take a look at Romanesque Kitchens! We will also make a small detour to the Écrou courtyard.
Les Cuisines Romanes, a building with an unusual architecture
Aren't you impressed by this building with its unusual architecture? The structure of the building is very particular and gives it a unique character. Until recently, the function of the Romanesque Kitchens has remained uncertain. The mystery persisted for a long time...
The Romanesque kitchens were built around 1140 and classified as a historical monument in 1840. They were restored in 1903 under the direction of Lucien Magne, because they were really deteriorated. At the time, the architect was criticized for having chosen the project that was the least faithful to the original state of the Romanesque kitchens.
Fairly recent archaeological excavations, between 2017 and 2020, have corroborated the hypothesis of ancient kitchens.
We were seduced by this exceptional place! Will you be too?
The courtyard of the Écrou hides a permanent work
We then headed to the Écrou courtyard where we were pleasantly surprised to discover an original art form.
Heterotopia II, imagined by the sculptor Audrey Guimard and the painter Julien Colombier, is exposed in the center of the courtyard. This work mixes the white and luminous stone of the abbey with the colored earthenware of a cobalt blue. We can see through this artistic structure the green of the lawn, or the blue of the sky depending on our point of view.
Fontevraud Abbey has become a true cultural center where contemporary art is expressed everywhere.
You can have fun looking for the 5 permanent works by the winners of the Ackerman-Fontevraud creative residencies on display in the monastic city. We have put you on the track by presenting Heterotopia II, but there are 4 more to find!
Little hint for the next one: go have a look at the hotel garden and the restaurant!
DISCOVER Saumur
- Best things to do in Saumur
- Where to sleep in Saumur: best hotels
- Where to eat in Saumur: best restaurants
- Visit the Château de Saumur
- Visit Fontevraud Abbey
- The most beautiful castles around Saumur
- Saumur's troglodytes
- itineraries: weekend
Continuation of the visit: the cloister, the prison and the bells of Fontevraud
Let's not stop here and continue our visit through the monastic city of Fontevraud. We will first go through a place that has particularly marked us: the cloister of Grand-Moûtier.
The cloister of Grand-Moûtier
As you will see from our photos, the cloister is a charming place where heaven and earth mingle. We have a feeling of openness to the outside world, while having the possibility to take refuge under its protective gallery.
The cloister is the vibrant heart of the monastery. It is the place where one comes to recharge one's batteries and aspire to tranquility. This one is particularly impressive because of its medieval dimensions, which make it one of the largest cloisters in Europe.
Take the time to walk under the gallery, and appreciate the beauty of the columns and vaults! There are a multitude of little details to relate to.
The construction of the cloister is estimated to have taken place between 1491 and 1670 under the impulse of the abbesses Renée, Louise and Eléonore de Bourbon. Originally, the nuns came here to meditate. Do you feel the tranquility of the place?
However, the cloister became the prisoners' walking yard in the 19th century. Radical change of atmosphere, right?
The prison exhibition
Speaking of the prisoners of Fontevraud Abbey, let's go now to the prison exhibition.
As mentioned earlier, the abbey has known several destinies, and in particular that of a penitentiary center between 1814 and 1963. Through this permanent exhibition, we dive into a dark period in the history of the abbey. Archival images, period objects and testimonies allow us to understand the change that took place.
The Revolution of 1789 directly affected the fate of the monastery. Napoleon took the radical decision to transform the Abbey of Fontevraud into a prison. For 150 years, the monastery was under prison control, which had a strong impact on the architecture of the place.
The bells of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
As a cultural center, Fontevraud Abbey hosts the original exhibition À toute volée sur les cloches. In order to create a dialogue between heritage and creation, the exhibition revisits the process of creating a brass plate through photos, videos and objects.
The artistic project led by the abbey around the art of bell ringing is ambitious: recreate the complete ringing of the 6 bells of its belfry. Small note: bell art is the art related to bells and their manufacture.
Every year, the Abbey of Fontevraud has a new bell made by the Cornille-Havard foundry. But the project doesn't stop there as the bells are then decorated by contemporary artists such as Makiko Furuichi and Paul Cox.
Apart from this exhibition room, you can find other bells in the gardens of the monastery. We will come back to this later in this article.
The Boiler Room
A brief aside to tell you a little about the Boiler Room, also called the Treasure Room. As its name indicates, it was the only heated room in the abbey. It was here that the nuns met to devote themselves to embroidery.
For lovers of historical objects, this room contains a beautiful collection of objects dating from the twelfth to the twentieth century in connection with the history of Fontevraud.
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The chapter house and the abbey church
Let's turn the page on bells and move on to a new chapter! To do this, you will go out to the level of the cloister of the Grand-Moûtier and walk under its gallery to the chapter house.
The chapter house: between sculpted decorations and checkerboards
Before entering the chapter house, take the time to observe the thousand details carved in the rock at the entrance. Remarkably fine work, isn't it?
We were overwhelmed by the splendor of this place! We didn't know where to stop looking, so here is a little guide for you.
As you move a little further into the room, you will be able to observe:
- The floor and its superb checkerboard pattern, with on some slabs the coat of arms of the Bourbon family, the Salamander of François I, etc.
- The paintings on the walls, dating from between 1562 and 1567, represent the great abbesses of Fontevraud.
- The magnificent low vaults that symbolize the relationship with God.
The chapter house, also called the chapter house, was the place where the collective decisions of the community's affairs were handled. This is the heart of the collective management of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud at that time. The nuns went there daily to attend the commented reading of chapters of the monastic rule. This book organized the life of the inhabitants of Fontevraud.
When the abbey was transformed into a prison, the chapter house became the next:
- A warehouse to store food,
- A praetorium, in other words a court, for the exercise of prison discipline,
- A deposit where stones were piled up,
Therefore, you will have understood, the room has suffered a lot through time. Several phases of restoration of the site followed.
The abbey church and the recumbent figures of Fontevraud Abbey
Let's continue our sightseeing together and head for the abbey church which houses some very special residents!
This church was built between 1105 and 1165. As you can see on our pictures, the architecture of the place is quite sober. But you will be impressed by the size of the church and its inhabitants!
We were looking forward to meeting the Plantagenets' recumbents. The recumbents were used as covers for royal burials.
In the abbey church, you will be able to observe 4 prestigious recumbents:
- Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Henry II Plantagenet
- Richard the Lionheart
- Isabelle of Angouleme
Thanks to Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, Fontevraud Abbey became a royal necropolis symbolizing the power of the Plantagenet dynasty. She had her late husband Henry II Plantagenet buried there. Later, she also buried her son Richard the Lionheart in the abbey. Did you know that his brain and entrails remained in Limousin, where Richard the Lionheart died? The rest of his body is buried under the recumbent bed at the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. Finally, his embalmed heart was first sent to Rouen Cathedral and is now kept in the reserves of the Rouen Museum of Antiquities.
Fun fact: Eleanor did not respect her husband's wish to be buried in the Abbey of Grandmont in the Limousin!
To bring a little lightness to this place full of history, we allow ourselves a little purely aesthetic comment. We were sensitive to the play of lights in the church. We hope you will be able to see them too during your visit!
Finally: the gardens and the Saint-Benoît chapel
It's time to take a breather and get some fresh air: head for the abbey gardens.
The gardens of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
In order to ensure that the community lives in perfect autarky, the various buildings that make up the monastic city are surrounded by gardens. The gardens had a mainly utilitarian function: vegetable garden, orchard, etc.
Today, the Abbey of Fontevraud is committed to a more sustainable city:
- Since 2013, the abbey has been producing its own honey with the help of a local beekeeper.
- Since 2014, the abbey has been ISO 26,000 certified.
- Since 2015, the abbey has an organic vegetable garden and favors the short circuit (the vegetables are consumed in the abbey's restaurant).
We have not listed all of the abbey's commitments, but if you are interested in this topic you can go directly to their website here.
But by the way, weren't we supposed to talk about bells again?
As explained earlier in the article, the abbey has chosen to make a new bell each year as part of its bell project. You will be able to find Petronilla installed in April 2022 in the gardens of the monastery.
Petronilla was the first abbess in the monastic history of Fontevraud, but it is also the name given to the bell that you can see in the picture. It takes its marks on the heights of the abbey. Search for the other bells in the gardens and inside the abbey!
While walking through the gardens, we recommend you to pass quickly by the small wood behind the Hotel Fontevraud which hides a contemporary work. Lose yourself for a few minutes on the hill of Arbrissel where you may find another one!
You can also take a quick look at the Saint-Benoît chapel, which is not the most striking building at the Abbaye de Fontevraud. It is now used for conferences and seminars, but a work of art is hidden in the darkness.
Video tour of the Abbey
Frequently asked questions
Who is buried in the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud?
If you've read our entire article, you'll probably already have some answers to this question. In the abbey church of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, there are 4 recumbents:
- Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Henry II Plantagenet
- Richard the Lionheart
- Isabelle of Angouleme
The monastic city was in the Middle Ages the necropolis of the Plantagenet dynasty.
What is the originality of the community of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud?
There is one crucial element that distinguishes Fontevraud Abbey from its peers. Indeed, this vast monastic city was constantly governed by an Abbess. This is a great feature, especially in the church in the twelfth century.
It was Robert d'Abrissel, the founder of the abbey, who appointed Petronilla de Chemillé as the first abbess of Fontevraud in 1115. It also establishes the rule that brothers are subject to sisters.
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