Welcome to the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, founded in 1101 along the borders of three regions, Anjou, Touraine and Poitou. Considered the jewel of the Loire region, this is the largest surviving monastery dating from the middle ages. Also a convent, the Abbey welcomed nobles with royal blood for seven centuries. Following the revolution, Napoleon converted Fontevraud into one of France’s most brutal prisons.  So it remained until 1963.

One of the first buildings in France to be named a historical monument in 1840, in 2000 the Abbey of Fontevraud was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Loire Valley. What’s happening in the abbey these days? Let me take you on a little tour…

Set upon 34 acres, there is plenty to explore both inside and outside of this monumental abbey. The feeling while touring the grounds is one of complete tranquility and deep mysticism. Undoubtedly a magical setting.

The church once held up to 400 nuns and is now the resting place of Plantagenet Kings: Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son, Richard the Lionheart, and Isabelle d’Angoulême, King John’s second wife.

The Renaissance style cloisters were the heart of the monastery, rebuilt in the 16th century. The simple garden of boxwood, grass and flowers is reminiscent of paradise lost, echoing the four rivers in the Garden of Eden.

The Chapter house was where the community gathered to make administative and spiritual decisions. Outside of this room, silence was imposed. The decor, intricate carvings and Renaissance murals of the Passion of Christ by local artist Thomas Pot, signifies the importance of this room.

In addition to the treasure chamber where historical objects are on view from the Abbey’s origins, the nuns’ dormitory hosts contempory art installation “Mort en été” by Claude Lévêque. Enter into a fantastical nightscape, of dreams or nightmares. Or maybe this is a trip on the Loire at sunset…

Art has become an integral part of the abbey. Every year the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud invites artists to take residence, where they can create original works in art, music and film. What an inspirational setting!

In 2014 it became possible to sleep and dine within this majestic setting with the opening of  Fontevraud L’Hôtel. Stylishly modern rooms provide the perfect refuge amid this thousand-year-old heritage. Set inside a former priory, dine at the helm of one Michelin star Chef Thibaut Ruggeri at Bocuse d’Or. The restuarant alone makes the abbey worth a visit! Following your meal, take a stroll with only the light of the moon to guide you.

There is much more to highlight at the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, including their steps toward sustainability by use of solar energy and vegetable gardens on premises. Digital tools used throughout the tour make the visit interactive and even more memorable. The rest I will leave for you to discover.

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