Ligugé - Abbaye Saint Martin de Ligugé

8km/5mi south of Poitiers is the abbey of Ligugé, whose origins go back to the 4th C. It was reoccupied by Benedictine monks in 1853. Excavations round the abbey from 1953 onwards brought to light the remains of sixth C. buildings, and the present monastery also incorporates older work. The church of St-Martin was rebuilt in Flamboyant style in the 16th C.