Founded in 1101 on the borders of the provinces of Anjou, Poitou and Touraine, the royal Abbey of Fontevraud is the largest monastic city inherited from the Middle Ages. It owes its power in particular to the Plantagenets and its close links with Eleanor of Aquitaine, an emblematic figure of this mysterious place. The Queen of France and then of England in fact maintained a special relationship with the city and approached it to direct the affairs of the kingdom upon the death of her husband, Henri II Plantagenet. Her recumbent figure still sits today in the heart of the abbey church alongside those of her husband and her son Richard the Lionheart. More than any other place, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is today recognized as the necropolis of the reigning dynasty in England from 1154 to 1485.
Fontevraud Abbey was conceived from its creation as a “very singular foundation” by its founder Robert d’Arbrissel, an itinerant preacher, defender of the poor and demanding reformer. It is distinguished from other religious establishments by the fact of having always been led by abbesses (36 have succeeded one another). But the story of Fontevraud shines beyond the religious circle. Beloved by kings, it welcomed many nobles of royal blood for seven centuries before the Revolution chased away all the monks and nuns. From 1804, Napoleon I transformed Fontevraud into one of the harshest prisons in France, a role it retained until 1963.
The village that has been organized around the monastic city, and the main square located at the entrance gate of the abbey have an undeniable charm. But the "highlight of the show" remains the abbey that can only be seen by entering the enclosure after having bought your ticket. One of the cultural and historical highlights of the region that certainly deserves a stop for a visit. Between the abbey, the monastic city, the museum, the old prison and the park, there is more than enough time to spend an entire day there, and even at night in summer with nighttime illuminations.
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