Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey is 13km southeast of Saumur, and gains its importance because both French and English monarchs are buried here.
The abbey was first established in 1099. Unusually it had both a nunnery and a monastery, and was under the command of an abbess (you can see pictures of many of the abbesses in the abbey). The idea was apparently a great success and several other abbeys were established on the same basis.
The abbey is one of the largest monastic complexes in Europe and construction whilst mostly in the 12th century has continued to the 20th. The highlight of the complex is the domed abbey church, a great space with plenty of character and interest despite its size (although a little over-restored).
The abbey also contains the tombstone effigies of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart who are buried here.
Personally I liked the lovely Snow White style building which is the Romanesque kitchens and has lovely turretted rooves.
Don't miss also the carved doorway that passes through to the chapterhouse and the central interior cloister (though whilst I‘m usually a big fan of cloisters this one is a little too large and bare for my tastes).
Just before the French Revolution, Fontevraud was the most powerful abbey in France. It was transformed into a prison in 1804 and remained one until its close in 1963 (although the last prisoner apparently didn’t leave until 1985!) Because of the importance of the building it is now inscribed as a French National Monument; you can see entrance details at Fontevraud Abbey visitor information
The abbey is now home to a wide range of other cultural activities and exhibitions, and is a centre for medieval archaeology.
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The Fontevraud Abbey hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Fontevraud Abbey is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Pays de la Loire gites for Fontevraud Abbey gites - Holiday villages in Pays de la Loire Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: Places to Stay near Fontevraud Abbey VisitSee Visit Fontevraud Abbey for places to visit near Fontevraud Abbey including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages Find distances from Fontevraud Abbey to other places in France and plan your route at France driving distances Airports near Fontevraud AbbeyAngers airport at 55 km Poitiers airport at 68 km Tours airport at 76 km Fontevraud Abbey property for saleSee Pays de la Loire property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Fontevraud Abbey
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Places to visit near Fontevraud Abbey, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Fontevraud Abbey.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
7 km: Candes-Saint-Martin (Most beautiful village) 21 km: Chateau Chinon (castle) 17 km: Chateau de Saumur (castle) 21 km: Chinon (Town of art and history) 4 km: Montsoreau (Most beautiful village) 16 km: Saumur (Loire valley town)
See also Fontevraud Abbey (version Francais)
