Fontevraud Abbey Attractions Abbaye royale de Fontevraud
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The little town of Fontevraud or Fontevrault (pop. 1,189), famed for its abbey, lies half-way between Chinon and Saumur a few kilometers south of the Loire.
The great abbey of Fontevraud was founded in 1099 by a preacher named Robert d'Arbrissel. It was occupied by monks and nuns who lived under the strict rule of the Benedictine order. The abbey was dissolved during the French Revolution, and from 1804 to 1963 served as a prison. It is now a conference center.
The church dates from the first half of the 12th C. It contains the tombs of members of the Plantagenet house (which favored the Benedictine order), in particular of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard Coeur-de-Lion - fine examples of 13th C sculpture.
The great abbey of Fontevraud was founded in 1099 by a preacher named Robert d'Arbrissel. It was occupied by monks and nuns who lived under the strict rule of the Benedictine order. The abbey was dissolved during the French Revolution, and from 1804 to 1963 served as a prison. It is now a conference center.
The church dates from the first half of the 12th C. It contains the tombs of members of the Plantagenet house (which favored the Benedictine order), in particular of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard Coeur-de-Lion - fine examples of 13th C sculpture.
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