Overview

Hype:

The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud is a complex of religious buildings hosting a cultural center since 1975. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher Robert of Arbrissel. The foundation flourished and became the center of a new monastic Order, the Order of Fontevrault. This order was composed of double monasteries, in which the community consisted of both men and women—in separate quarters of the abbey—all of which were subject to the authority of the Abbess of Fontevraud. The Abbey of Fontevraud itself consisted of four separate communities, all completely managed by the same abbess. The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119. The Abbey was then located within what is sometimes referred to as the Angevin Empire. The King of England, Henry II, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and son, King Richard the Lionheart were buried here at the end of the 12th century. Disestablished as a monastery during the French Revolution, it served as a prison from 1804 to 1963.

Time:

Fees: Entrance Fee

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Links: http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/Visit-Fontevraud/Welcome
https://en.wikipedia.org/

Getting There

Navigate to 47.180827, 0.052468.

Location

Closest City or Region: Anjou, France

Coordinates: 47.180827, 0.052468

View larger map

August 11, 2017 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Greg Dye, Laura Dye,

Story

The Abbey was very cool and surprisingly big. In the great hall, they had some fun projectors where you could draw on the screen and it would project onto the wall. There were tons of rooms and hallways and places to explore. Dad and I got a little impatient with how slow the tour guide was going, so we explored things on our own. There were some weird art exhibits upstairs, which was interesting. Then half the group went over to the kitchen area (the pictures with the fancy stone roof with a lot of turrets) but I couldn't find the right doorway to get over there, so I missed that part.

Pictures