Fontevraud Abbey

The rain was driving down and we missed the small sign for Fontevraud Abbey as we wound through the seemingly impossibly narrow streets. Upon reaching the car park, we had misgivings because ours was the only car – was it possible that Fontevraud  was closed or were we just the only people out on this rainy October day?

Fontevraud Abbey was founded in 1101 by an itinerant priest. One of the largest monastic cities of the middle ages, it is located in the valley of the Fountain of Evraud (Fountain is font in French, thus the name Fontevraud) midway between Saumur (17 km) and Chinon (21 km). In its conception, the Abbey covered 34 acres and was located at the junction of the estates of Eleanore of Aquitane and Henry II.

Unlike other abbeys, abbesses appointed from the royal family governed Fontevraud. Here at Fontevraud Abbey we saw effigies for Eleanor of Aquitane and Henry II Plantagenet in the church.  Also their son Rchard the Lionhearted and a 13^th century wooden tomb of Isabelle of Angoulême are buried here. In addition the church is the burial place for 15 princes and princesses that reigned in England.

Inscriptions: Eleanor of Aquitane, Queen of France and Queen of England 1204; Henry II of Plantagenet, King of England 1154-1189

I found it a bit unsettling that at this time of day the window light struck the book in Eleanor’s hand to make it appear like an e-book device!

Fontevraud Abbey church where these effigies are located enormous and celestial in feeling. The high ceilings and grand windows provide for a light and open feeling. It was hard to believe that it was gray and rainy outside!

In the left picture I was looking forward into the church and when I realized the immensity of the building I turned around to photograph the door I had just walked through.

Below, is the altar that you see far in the distance of the left-hand image above.  This altar is just below that “small window” in the photo.  The effigies are located just before the steps up to this altar area.

Altar of the Abbey church

We exited the church through a side door that opened onto the Abbey gardens and cloister.

Fontevraud Abbey Cloister

Cloister of Fontevraud Abbey

Fontevraud Abbey Chapter House

The Chapter House leads off of the Cloister and from the floor upward, this part of the Cloister was definitely my favorite!

The salamander is the emblem of Francois I of France and the RB & L monograms are for Renee and Louis of Bourbon.

The 16^th century cloisters are stunning in an entirely different way from the church. The Chapter house contains frescoes on all its walls by the Anjou artist Thomas Pot which depict the life of Christ. The doorways are Renaissance in style and have fascinating detailed carvings.

The Life of Christ frescoes in the Chapter House

Note the carvings on the door and window lintels.

Carved lintel details

Just off of the Cloister are stairs up to the dormitories. We climbed up to the first level where there was a contemporary sculpture exhibit by Claude Lévêque and then we followed the Cloister walk around the gardens to the Orangerie where we had some very nice hot chocolate that took the chill off the afternoon!

Entitled “Death in Summer” this contemporary art display represented the Loire river and the aurora borealis.

I love the Romanesque kitchen with its octagonal fireplace chimney. There were 8 fireplace alcoves in the kitchen that all fed upward to this central chimney 28 meters up.

Central chimney in the kitchen

The high altar from the Fontevraud Abbey church is located in Saint Michels church in the village. We first arrived at St Michels as we walked to Fontevraud from the car park.

This high altar in St Michels was at one time in Fontevraud Abbey

Example of the polychrome finials found at the end of each of the vault ribs

Inside St Michels is beautiful and the polychrome finials on the ceiling are particularly interesting. The church in Bourgueil which was about 7km from our gite and 18km from the Abbey also has a multitude of these polychrome finials which I’ll post a bit later –stay tuned.

Finding Fontevraud Abbey

Practical information about opening times can be found at the Abbey’s website.