A few words about the history of this abbey. It was founded around 1111 on the banks of the "Fontaine Douce", by Guillaume de Conchamp, lord of Taillebourg.
Towards the end of the 12th century, an abbey church was built. At the beginning of the 13th century, attached to the west of the first Romanesque abbey, a Gothic-style cloister was gradually built.
The abbey reached its peak from this period: in addition to its priories (la Grainetière in Vendée and la Tenaille near Pons), it owned land within a radius of 100 km, including saltworks on the coast.
In the 15th century, Fontdouce obtained the title of royal abbey leading to a profound change in its mode of administration: the abbot was no longer elected by his peers within the community but was appointed by the king. It is often a great layman to whom the king grants the commendation, that is to say 80% of the income of the abbey.
Then, the wars of religion, in the 16th century, accelerated its decline. The abbey church is ransacked: it will never be rebuilt.
The years following the French Revolution also brought their share of destruction: several buildings, including the refectory, disappeared. The last monks were driven out in 1793 and the following year the site was sold as National Property to serve as agricultural property. The farmer who bought the place then built, on the remains of the conventual buildings, a house in the First Empire style.
In the 1820s, Fontdouce entered the family of the current owners who, on December 16, 1986, had the Gothic parts, chapter house and parlor classified as historical monuments2.
From 1970, the current owners undertook a series of excavations intended for the restoration of the Abbey of Fontdouce. They are gradually bringing the beautiful chapter house and the Gothic parlor back to life, the two superimposed Romanesque chapels and several other remains.
These restoration works earned them third prize in the masterpiece in danger competition in 1979. In 1986, the site was entirely classified as a Historic Monument1.
Today, Fontdouce remains a private property, focused on tourist and cultural activities, supported in its development actions by a team of enthusiasts grouped together within the Association Guillaume de Conchamp.
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