Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
Discover a thousand-year-old monument with unique architecture, stroll through its peaceful gardens and enjoy its rich cultural programme.
The history of the Royal Abbey
From Eleanor of Aquitaine to Napoleon, from the foundation of the Abbey in 1101 to the opening of Fontevraud Museum of Modern Art, the Abbey has seen many famous people pass through its doors.
The Abbey’s rich history and heritage have earned it a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Discover the sites
The Abbey church
Far from the immaculate white of the tufa stone, the abbey church, the spiritual heart of the abbey, has been richly decorated since the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the decor, with its painted chapels, wooden stalls and grille separating the nuns’ choir from that of the brothers, was sumptuous, a reminder of the power of the fontevrist order.
The recumbent figures
Following the example of the royal necropolis of the kings of France at Saint-Denis, Eleanor of Aquitaine decided to install the royal necropolis of the sovereigns of England at Fontevraud. Fontevraud was at the centre of the Plantagenet empire. Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine are buried here at Fontevraud.
The cloister
The cloister, a symbolic image of paradise, is a space that links places of spirituality (church), governance (chapter house) and communal living areas (refectory, dormitories). For visitors, it is a place of tranquillity, ideal for wandering around.
The Romanesques kitchens
A symbol of Fontevraud, this atypical kitchen profile was relatively common in wealthy abbeys. In use only in the Middle Ages, the function of the place has long been questioned: baptistery, lantern of the dead, hideout of the bandit Évraud. In 2020, archaeological research finally confirmed that it was used as a kitchen.
La Terrasse Gourmande
In the former Orangerie, on the most beautiful terrace in the Abbey, discover a range of fast, local and delicious food. To take away or enjoy on the spot.
Preparing my visit
Opening times, tours, prices, access… all the information you need to organise your visit.
