Abbeys and Monasteries of France
France is home to a wide variety of lovely abbeys and monasteries, most of which are located in peaceful, scenic countryside. Some of France's abbeys lie in picturesque ruins while are well-preserved or even still in use.
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Abbaye-aux-Dames Caen, Normandy Founded by Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conquerer, in 1093. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it is now used by the French Regional Council. |
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Abbaye-aux-Hommes Caen, Normandy Founded by William the Conquerer in 1066, the well-preserved Romanesque abbey includes the magnificent Eglise St-Etienne, which contains William's empty tomb. |
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Abbey of Alet-les-Bains Alet les Bains, Aude Now in picturesque ruins, this Benedictine abbey was founded in 813 AD and destroyed during the Wars of Religion. |
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Abbey of Cīteaux Saint-Nicolas-les-Cîteaux, Burgundy This mother house of the influential Cistercian monastic order was founded in 1140. St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk here. |
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Abbey of Cluny Cluny, Burgundy Founded in 910, this abbey was the center of a major monastic reform movement. Its church was the largest in the world until St. Peter's Basilica was built. |
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Abbey L'Escaladieu Escaladieu, Haute-Pyrenees Founded in 1142 by Cistercian monks, this abbey flourished in the Middle Ages as a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago. |
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Abbey of Fontenay Fontenay, Burgundy This beautiful, well-restored 12th-century Cistercian monastery was founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. |  |
Abbey of Fontfroide Narbonne, Languedoc Nestled in a green valley in southern France, this 11th-century Cisterician abbey is one of the most complete abbey complexes remaining today. |
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Abbey of Saint Hilaire Saint Hilaire, Aude This fortified Benedictine abbey dates from the 6th and 7th centuries. It was believed to contain the tomb of St. Hilaire, the first bishop of Carcassonne. |
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Abbey of Saint Martin d'Ainay Lyon, Provence This Romanesque Benedictine monastery contains Lyon's oldest church, dating from 1107. |
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Abbay of Sénanque Gordes, Provence The main attraction of this abbey, founded by the Cistercians in 1148, is the beautiful lavendar fields that surround it. |
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Abbey of Valmagne Mediterranean Coast, Languedoc This well-preserved 12th-century Cistercian abbey has been used as a wine cellar since the French Revolution and has a running medieval fountain and medieval garden. |
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Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction Villeneuve-les-Avignon, Provence Founded by Pope Innocent VI in 1356, this was once the most important Carthusian monastery in France and it is still the largest. |
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Mont-Saint-Michel Normandy Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey was founded after a vision of the Archangel Michael. Built in the 11th century, it became an important place of pilgrimage. |
