Visit to the Abbey
Fontdouce Abbey - Cultural Visits Fontdouce Abbey invites you to discover its history, gardens, and architecture during an enriching visit in a peaceful and historically rich setting. This charming and serene place immerses you in the unique atmosphere of a restored medieval abbey, offering breathtaking…
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Fontdouce Abbey
Saint Bris des Bois
Description
Fontdouce Abbey - Cultural Visits
Fontdouce Abbey invites you to discover its history, gardens, and architecture during an enriching visit in a peaceful and historically rich setting. This charming and serene place immerses you in the unique atmosphere of a restored medieval abbey, offering breathtaking views of the formal French gardens .
Description :
Upon arrival, discover a magnificent early 19th-century manor house, built above the main halls of the abbey. This house offers breathtaking views of the gardens, redesigned as formal French gardens in 1996. These gardens were reimagined following the discovery of the foundations of the original cloister during archaeological excavations.
One of the abbey's main attractions is the chapter house , a richly ornamented 12th-century Gothic space. This hall is one of the largest in France and offers an immersive experience in the art and architecture of the medieval period.
Continuing your visit, you will cross the gardens again to reach the abbey enclosure , a place conducive to relaxation and contemplation. Nearby, a grove of trees and a wash house invite you to stop for a moment of rest or even a picnic in a peaceful, natural setting.
Fontdouce Abbey thus offers a wonderful opportunity to recharge while exploring a rich and beautifully preserved historical heritage.
Schedules :
From April 5th to June 30th & from September 1st to November 2nd: - Weekdays: 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Weekends, public holidays and school holidays: 10:30 am to 6:30 pm and Saturdays 10:30 am to 5 pm July / August: Every day from 10 am to 7 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm Self-guided tour: This allows you to discover the site at your own pace with the help of a visitor's guide and take the time to stroll through the rooms and gardens to enjoy the serenity of the place, the surrounding landscape and the architecture. Price: Adults: €7 / Children (3-18 years): €5 Guided tour (by reservation): If you are a group of at least 10 people, book your guided tour of Fontdouce. Open year-round, this will be an opportunity for a special tour and to chat with the guides or the abbey owners. Price: Adults: €9.50 / Children (3-18 years): €6
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Fontdouce Abbey
Saint Bris des Bois The monastery was founded by the Benedictines in 1111. At its peak, it housed around one hundred monks, but gradually fell into obscurity following the Wars of Religion. Sold as national property after the French Revolution, it was then transformed into a wine-growing farm: the monastic buildings, partially buried under a meter of fill, served as wine cellars, sheds, and storage areas.
Starting in 1970, the current owners undertook a series of excavations for the restoration of Fontdouce Abbey. They gradually brought back to life the beautiful chapter house and the Gothic parlor, the two superimposed Romanesque chapels, and several other remains. This collection of buildings offers a unique glimpse into the numerous transformations the site has undergone over time.
Besides its conventual buildings, Fontdouce's appeal also lies in its surroundings. The abbey is situated away from major roads, in the heart of a verdant valley enhanced by formal French gardens and clear water features.
The abbey complex includes formal French gardens and monastic buildings, most of which are still remarkably well-preserved. Among these buildings, we recommend the Romanesque lower chapel, the beautiful and ornate Gothic chapter house (one of the largest in France), the Gothic parlor corridor with its remarkably white stones, and the cloister. The ruins of the Gothic abbey church also suggest the power Fontdouce once held. Soon, you will also be able to admire the vast scriptorium, the existence of which was revealed during preventative excavations this year.
The formal French gardens were recently recreated based on an engraving of the abbey dating from before the French Revolution. They are punctuated by water points (fountains and basins) fed by the river which you can follow through the woods to reach, 400 meters further upstream, its source.
