France: Fontevraud, Richard the Lionheart
Effigy (c. 1199) on the tomb of King Richard I of England, known as Richard Cœur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior.
The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud was a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, France.
The abbey was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher Robert of Arbrissel. The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.
The area where the Abbey is located was then part of 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 all buried here at the end of the 12th century.
It was disestablished as a monastery during the French Revolution.
The complex of monastic buildings served as a prison from 1804 to 1963. Since 1975, it has hosted a cultural centre, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest.
A major restoration was completed in 2006. The abbey is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a historic monument of France.
France: Fontevraud, Richard the Lionheart
Effigy (c. 1199) on the tomb of King Richard I of England, known as Richard Cœur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior.
The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud was a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, France.
The abbey was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher Robert of Arbrissel. The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.
The area where the Abbey is located was then part of 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 all buried here at the end of the 12th century.
It was disestablished as a monastery during the French Revolution.
The complex of monastic buildings served as a prison from 1804 to 1963. Since 1975, it has hosted a cultural centre, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest.
A major restoration was completed in 2006. The abbey is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a historic monument of France.