Fontevraud l'Abbaye: abbey cloister
An arcade of the main cloister of l’Abbaye royale de Fontevraud, or Fontevrault -- Abbaye Notre-Dame -- in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye (in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire region, in west-central France), on a mostly clear day in mid-October (2016).
Founded in 1101 by Robert d'Arbrissel (1047-1117), the abbey was initially intended for both women and men but became an abbey exclusively for women. As its name suggests, for centuries it was associated with royalty, including abbesses with royal connections and other royal or aristocratic residents. Among the most famous was Aliénor d'Aquitaine, known in English as Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122?-1204), who retired and was buried there. Like many French religious establishments, in 1792 Fontevrault was suppressed by Revolutionaries. Napoleon I then established a grim prison on the site in 1804, which did not close until 1963, when restoration began.
Today, the abbey site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is open to visitors for daily visits, as well as hosting many cultural events. Of the main convent of Grand-Moûtier, the Romanesque abbey church, the chapter house, the refectory, and these cloisters -- Cloître Ste-Marie -- survive. The south side of the cloisters dates from the early 16th century and is Gothic-inspired; the other sides, including the one in this view, were built in the mid-16th century, in a Renaissance style. The site also features elements including a hotel (in the former Prieuré St-Lazare / St-Lazare Priory); the gatehouse (ca. 1785); a converted 18th-century stables; the former homes of abbots and abbesses; a large medieval kitchen with "pepper pot" towers; three eating places (at least as of 2016); and gardens.
This location was historically in the Saumurois area of Anjou, near its borders with the Touraine to the east and Poitou to the south. Today, it is within the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine (Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park) as well as the Vallée de la Loire UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Information from: the DuMont Guide -- Hansmann, Wilfried. Loire Valley, translated [from German] by Russell Stockman (New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1986; DuMont Guide); the Michelin Châteaux of the Loire Green Guide (Watford, Herts., UK: Michelin Travel Partner, 2015 printing); and the French- and English-language Wikipédia / Wikipedia, both last consulted 2 October 2020. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s dates are based on US Library of Congress "authority record" n81007375.)
[Fontevraud l'Abbaye abbey cloister perspective arcade 2016 oct 11 f; DSCF0391]
Fontevraud l'Abbaye: abbey cloister
An arcade of the main cloister of l’Abbaye royale de Fontevraud, or Fontevrault -- Abbaye Notre-Dame -- in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye (in the département of Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire region, in west-central France), on a mostly clear day in mid-October (2016).
Founded in 1101 by Robert d'Arbrissel (1047-1117), the abbey was initially intended for both women and men but became an abbey exclusively for women. As its name suggests, for centuries it was associated with royalty, including abbesses with royal connections and other royal or aristocratic residents. Among the most famous was Aliénor d'Aquitaine, known in English as Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122?-1204), who retired and was buried there. Like many French religious establishments, in 1792 Fontevrault was suppressed by Revolutionaries. Napoleon I then established a grim prison on the site in 1804, which did not close until 1963, when restoration began.
Today, the abbey site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is open to visitors for daily visits, as well as hosting many cultural events. Of the main convent of Grand-Moûtier, the Romanesque abbey church, the chapter house, the refectory, and these cloisters -- Cloître Ste-Marie -- survive. The south side of the cloisters dates from the early 16th century and is Gothic-inspired; the other sides, including the one in this view, were built in the mid-16th century, in a Renaissance style. The site also features elements including a hotel (in the former Prieuré St-Lazare / St-Lazare Priory); the gatehouse (ca. 1785); a converted 18th-century stables; the former homes of abbots and abbesses; a large medieval kitchen with "pepper pot" towers; three eating places (at least as of 2016); and gardens.
This location was historically in the Saumurois area of Anjou, near its borders with the Touraine to the east and Poitou to the south. Today, it is within the Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine (Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Natural Park) as well as the Vallée de la Loire UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(Information from: the DuMont Guide -- Hansmann, Wilfried. Loire Valley, translated [from German] by Russell Stockman (New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1986; DuMont Guide); the Michelin Châteaux of the Loire Green Guide (Watford, Herts., UK: Michelin Travel Partner, 2015 printing); and the French- and English-language Wikipédia / Wikipedia, both last consulted 2 October 2020. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s dates are based on US Library of Congress "authority record" n81007375.)
[Fontevraud l'Abbaye abbey cloister perspective arcade 2016 oct 11 f; DSCF0391]