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{{Short description|Monastery in Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, France}}
{{Infobox monastery
{{Infobox monastery
| name = Fontevraud Abbey
| name = Fontevraud Abbey
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}}
}}


The '''Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud''' or '''Fontevrault''' (in French: ''abbaye de Fontevraud'') was a [[monastery]] in the village of [[Fontevraud-l'Abbaye]], near [[Chinon]], in the former French duchy of [[Anjou]]. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher [[Robert of Arbrissel]]. The foundation flourished and became the center of a new monastic Order, the Order of Fontevrault. This order was composed of [[double monastery|double monasteries]], in which the community consisted of both men and women—in separate quarters of the abbey—all of which were subject to the authority of the [[Abbess]] of Fontevraud. The Abbey of Fontevraud itself consisted of four separate communities, all completely managed by the same abbess.
The '''Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud''' or '''Fontevrault''' (in French: ''abbaye de Fontevraud'') was a [[monastery]] in the village of [[Fontevraud-l'Abbaye]], near [[Chinon]], in the former French [[Duchy of Anjou]]. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher [[Robert of Arbrissel]]. The foundation flourished and became the centre of a new monastic Order, the Order of Fontevraud. This order was composed of [[double monastery|double monasteries]], in which the community consisted of both men and women — in separate quarters of the abbey — all of whom were subject to the authority of the [[Abbess]] of Fontevraud. The Abbey of Fontevraud itself consisted of four separate communities, all managed by the same abbess.


The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.<ref name="Melot 1971">Melot (1971)</ref> The area where the Abbey is located was then part of what is sometimes referred to as the [[Angevin Empire]]. The King of England, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], his wife, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], and son, King [[Richard the Lionheart]] were all buried here at the end of the 12th century. It was disestablished as a monastery during the [[French Revolution]].
The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.<ref name="Melot 1971">Melot (1971)</ref> The area where the Abbey is located was then part of what is sometimes referred to as the [[Angevin Empire]]. The king of England, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]], his wife, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], and their son, King [[Richard the Lionheart]], were all buried here at the end of the 12th century. It was seized and disestablished as a monastery during the [[French Revolution]].


The Abbey is situated in the [[Loire Valley]], a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]], between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire within the Loire-Anjou-Touraine [[Regional natural parks of France|French regional natural park]] (''Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine'').
The Abbey is situated in the [[Loire Valley]], a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]], between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire within the Loire-Anjou-Touraine [[Regional natural parks of France|French regional natural park]] (''Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine'').
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{{Main article| Robert of Arbrissel}}
{{Main article| Robert of Arbrissel}}
[[File:La Ro%C3%AB %2853%29 Abbaye 05.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Abbey of La Roë]]
[[File:La Ro%C3%AB %2853%29 Abbaye 05.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Abbey of La Roë]]
[[File:Fontevraud Abbey map-en.svg|thumbnail|450px|Map of the Abbey.]]
[[File:Church of Fontevraud Abbey Eleanor of Aquitaine effigy.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Tomb effigy of [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]] in Fontevraud Abbey]]
[[File:Fontevraud Abbey map-en.svg|thumbnail|450px|Map of the Abbey]]
[[Robert of Arbrissel]] had served as the [[Archpriest]] of the [[Diocese of Rennes]], carrying out the reformist agenda of its bishop. When the bishop died in 1095, Robert was driven out of the diocese due to the hostility of the local clergy. He then became a hermit in the forest of Craon, where he practiced a life of severe penance, together with a number of other men who went on to found major monastic institutions. His eloquence and asceticism attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded a monastery of [[canons regular]] at [[La Roë]], of which he was the first [[abbot]]. In that same year [[Pope Urban II]] summoned him to [[Angers]] and appointed him an apostolic missionary, authorizing him to preach anywhere. His preaching drew large crowds of devoted followers, both men and women, even lepers. As a result, many men wished to embrace the religious life, whom he sent to his abbey. When the canons of that house objected to the influx of candidates of lower social states, he resigned his office and left the community.<ref name=CE>[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] ''Robert of Arbissel''</ref>
[[Robert of Arbrissel]] had served as the [[Archpriest]] of the [[Diocese of Rennes]], carrying out the reformist agenda of its bishop. When the bishop died in 1095, Robert was driven out of the diocese due to the hostility of the local clergy. He then became a hermit in the forest of [[Craon, Mayenne|Craon]], where he practiced a life of severe penance, together with a number of other men who went on to found major monastic institutions. His eloquence and asceticism attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded a monastery of [[canons regular]] at [[La Roë]], of which he was the first [[abbot]]. In that same year [[Pope Urban II]] summoned him to [[Angers]] and appointed him an apostolic missionary, authorizing him to preach anywhere. His preaching drew large crowds of devoted followers, both men and women, even lepers. As a result, many men wished to embrace the religious life, and he sent these to his abbey. When the canons of that house objected to the influx of candidates of lower social states, he resigned his office and left the community.<ref name=CE>[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] ''Robert of Arbissel''</ref>


===Fontevraud===
===Fontevraud===


Around 1100 Robert and his followers settled in a valley called ''Fons Ebraldi'' where he established a monastic community. Initially the men and women lived together in the same house, in an ancient ascetic practice called [[Syneisaktism]]. This practice had been widely condemned by Church authorities, however, and under pressure the community soon segregated according to gender, with the monks living in small [[priories]] where they lived in community in service to the nuns and under their rule. They were recognized as a religious community in 1106, both by the [[Bishop of Angers]] and by [[Pope Paschal II]]. Robert, who soon resumed his life of itinerant preaching, appointed Hersende of Champagné to lead the community. Later her assistant, Petronilla of [[Chemillé]], was elected as the first abbess in 1115.
Around 1100 Robert and his followers settled in a valley called ''Fons Ebraldi'' where he established a monastic community. Initially the men and women lived together in the same house, in an ancient ascetic practice called [[Syneisaktism]]. This practice had been widely condemned by Church authorities, however, and under pressure the community soon segregated according to gender, with the monks living in small [[priories]] where they lived in community in service to the nuns and under their rule. Sometime before 1106, [[Fulk IV, Count of Anjou]] gave a significant property gift to the abbey.{{sfn|Mews|2006|p=135}}
They were recognized as a religious community in 1106, both by the [[Bishop of Angers]] and by [[Pope Paschal II]]. Robert, who soon resumed his life of itinerant preaching, appointed [[Hersende of Champagne]] to lead the community. Later her assistant, Petronilla of [[Chemillé]], was elected as the first abbess in 1115.


Robert wrote a brief Rule of Life for the community, based upon the [[Rule of St. Benedict]]. Unlike the other monastic orders characterized by [[double monasteries]], the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevrault followed the same Rule. In his Rule, Robert dealt with four principal points: silence, good works, food and clothing, encouraging the utmost in simplicity of life and dress. He directed that the [[abbess]] should never be chosen from among those who had been brought up at Fontevrault, but that she should be someone who had had experience of the world (''de conversis sororibus''). This latter injunction was observed only in the case of the first two abbesses and was canceled by [[Pope Innocent III]] in 1201. At the time of Robert's death in 1117, there were about 3,000 nuns in the community.<ref name=CE />
Robert wrote a brief Rule of Life for the community, based upon the [[Rule of St. Benedict]]. Unlike the other monastic orders characterized by [[double monasteries]], the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevrault followed the same Rule. In his Rule, Robert dealt with four principal points: silence, good works, food and clothing, encouraging the utmost in simplicity of life and dress. He directed that the [[abbess]] should never be chosen from among those who had been brought up at Fontevrault, but that she should be someone who had had experience of the world (''de conversis sororibus''). This latter injunction was observed only in the case of the first two abbesses and was canceled by [[Pope Innocent III]] in 1201. At the time of Robert's death in 1117, there were about 3,000 nuns in the community.<ref name=CE />
In the early years the [[Plantagenet]]s were great benefactors of the abbey and while Isabella d'Anjou was the [[abbess]], King [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]'s widow, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], made the abbey her place of residence.<ref name="Melot 1971"/> Abbess Louise de Bourbon left her crest on many of the alterations to the abbey building which she made during her term of office.
In the early years the [[Plantagenet]]s were great benefactors of the abbey and while Isabella d'Anjou was the [[abbess]], King [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]'s widow, [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], made the abbey her place of residence.<ref name="Melot 1971"/> Abbess Louise de Bourbon left her crest on many of the alterations to the abbey building which she made during her term of office.
[[File:Richard1TombFntrvd.jpg|thumb|250px|Tomb of [[Richard I of England]] (front) and [[Isabella of Angoulême]] (back)]]
[[File:Richard1TombFntrvd.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Tomb effigy|Tomb effigies]] of King [[Richard I of England]] (right) and Queen [[Isabella of Angoulême]] (left)]]


===Decline===
===Decline===
With the passing of the Plantagenet dynasty, Fontevrault and her dependencies began to fall upon hard times. At the end of the 12th century, the Abbess of Fontevrault, Matilda of Flanders (1189-1194), complained about the extreme poverty which the abbey was suffering. As a result, in 1247 the nuns were permitted to receive inheritances to provide income for their needs, contrary to monastic custom. The fragile economic basis of the Order was exacerbated by the devastation of the [[Hundred Years War]], which lasted throughout the 14th century. A [[canonical visitation]] of fifty of the priories of the Order in 1460 showed most of them to be barely occupied, if not abandoned.
With the passing of the Plantagenet dynasty, Fontevrault and her dependencies began to fall upon hard times. At the end of the 12th century, the Abbess of Fontevrault, Matilda of Flanders (1189–1194), complained about the extreme poverty which the abbey was suffering. As a result, in 1247 the nuns were permitted to receive inheritances to provide income for their needs, contrary to monastic custom. The fragile economic basis of the Order was exacerbated by the devastation of the [[Hundred Years War]], which lasted throughout the 14th century. A [[canonical visitation]] of fifty of the priories of the Order in 1460 showed most of them to be barely occupied, if not abandoned.

===Later history and suppression===

Due to financial pressures the youngest four of the six daughters of [[Louis XV]] were sent to the abbey to be raised. Each was brought up at the abbey until the age of 15.


⚫
The Order was dispersed during the [[French Revolution]]. In November 1789, all property of the [[Catholic Church in France]] was declared to be the [[Biens nationaux|property of the nation]]. On 17 August 1792, a Revolutionary decree ordered evacuation of all monasteries, to be completed by 1 October 1792. At that time, there were still some 200 nuns and a small community of monks in residence at Fontevraud. The last abbess, Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin, is said to have died in poverty in Paris in 1797.<ref name=WIP>{{cite web|url=http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower1740.htm|work=Women in Power|title=Reigning Abbess Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud (France)}}</ref> The abbey became a prison in 1804.<ref name="Melot 1971"/>
===Suppression and later history===
⚫
The Order was dispersed during the [[French Revolution]]. In November 1789, all property of the Catholic Church was declared to be the [[Biens nationaux|property of the nation]]. On 17 August 1792, a Revolutionary decree ordered evacuation of all monasteries, to be completed by 1 October 1792. At that time, there were still some 200 nuns and a small community of monks in residence at Fontevraud. The last abbess, Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin, is said to have died in poverty in Paris in 1797.<ref name=WIP>{{cite web|url=http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower1740.htm|work=Women in Power|title=Reigning Abbess Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud (France)}}</ref> The abbey became a prison in 1804.<ref name="Melot 1971"/>


The prison was planned to hold 1,000 prisoners, and the former abbey required major changes, including new barracks in addition to the transformation of monastic buildings into dormitories, workshops, and common areas. Prisoners–-men, women and children-–began arriving in 1814. Eventually, it held some 2,000 prisoners, earning the prison the reputation of being the "toughest in France after [[Clairvaux Prison|Clairvaux]]" (also a former abbey). Political prisoners were subjected to the harshest conditions. Under the [[Vichy Government]], some [[French Resistance]] prisoners were shot there.
The prison was planned to hold 1,000 prisoners and the former abbey required major changes, including new barracks in addition to the transformation of monastic buildings into dormitories, workshops, and common areas. Prisoners—men, women and children—began arriving in 1814. Eventually it held some 2,000 prisoners, earning the prison the reputation of being the "toughest in France after [[Clairvaux Prison|Clairvaux]]" (also a former abbey). Political prisoners were subjected to the harshest conditions. Under the [[Vichy Government]], some [[French Resistance]] prisoners were shot there.


In 1963 it was given to the [[French Ministry of Culture]],<ref name="Melot 1971"/> and a major restoration was undertaken. In 1975 the Centre culturel de l'Ouest was formed to preserve the abbey and promote it as a cultural venue. The complex was opened to the public in 1985. Restoration of the abbey church according to the earlier restoration under the architect [[Lucien Magne]] was completed in 2006.<ref>
In 1963 it was given to the [[French Ministry of Culture]],<ref name="Melot 1971"/> and a major restoration was undertaken. In 1975 the Centre culturel de l'Ouest was formed to preserve the abbey and promote it as a cultural venue. The complex was opened to the public in 1985. Restoration of the abbey church according to the earlier restoration under the architect [[Lucien Magne]] was completed in 2006.<ref>
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|publisher = l'Abbaye de Fontevraud
|publisher = l'Abbaye de Fontevraud
|url = http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/histoire/cite-penitentiaire/transformation-de-l-abbaye-en-prison
|url = http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/histoire/cite-penitentiaire/transformation-de-l-abbaye-en-prison
|accessdate = 19 August 2012
|access-date = 19 August 2012
|url-status = dead
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120820090020/http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/histoire/cite-penitentiaire/transformation-de-l-abbaye-en-prison
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120820090020/http://www.abbayedefontevraud.com/histoire/cite-penitentiaire/transformation-de-l-abbaye-en-prison
|archivedate = 20 August 2012
|archive-date = 20 August 2012
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


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==List of abbesses==
==List of abbesses==
[[File:Marie Madeleine de Rochechouart (1645–1704), anonymous artist.jpg|thumb|upright|Abbess Gabrielle de Rochechouart (1645-1704)]]
[[File:Marie Madeleine de Rochechouart abbesse de Fontevraud.jpg|thumb|upright|Abbess Gabrielle de Rochechouart (1645–1704)]]
[[File:Louise Françoise de Rochechouart.jpg|thumb|upright|Abbess Louise Françoise de Rochechouart (1664-1742)]]
[[File:Julie-Gilette de Pardaillan d'Antin last abbess of Fontevraud Abbey.jpg|thumb|upright|Abbess Julie de Pardaillan (1725–1797)]]
* [[Petronille de Chemillé]] (1115-1149)
* [[Petronille de Chemillé]] (1115–1149)
* [[Matilda of Anjou]] (1149-1155)
* [[Matilda of Anjou]] (1149–1154)
* Audeburge of Hautes-Bruyères (1155-1180) She founded [[Amesbury Abbey]], near [[Stonehenge]] in England, in 1177
* Audeburge of Hautes-Bruyères (1155–1180) She founded [[Amesbury Abbey]], near [[Stonehenge]] in England, in 1177
* Gilles or Gillette (1180-1189)
* Gilles or Gillette (1180–1189)
* Adélaide (1189)
* Adélaide (1189)
* Matilda of Flanders (1189-1194)
* Matilda of Flanders (1189–1194)
* Matilda of Bohemia (1194-1207)
* Matilda of Bohemia (1194–1207)
* Marie of Burgundy (1207-1208) widow of [[Odo II, Duke of Burgundy]]
* Marie of Burgundy (1207–1208) widow of [[Odo II, Duke of Burgundy]]
* Alice of Bourbon (1208-1209) daughter of the previous abbess
* Alice of Bourbon (1208–1209) daughter of the previous abbess
* Adele (or Alice) of Brittany (1209-1218) daughter of [[Bertha, Duchess of Brittany]], and her son second husband [[Odo II, Viscount of Porhoët]]{{sfn|Vincent|2007|p=331}}
* Adele (or Alice) of Brittany (1209–1218) daughter of [[Bertha, Duchess of Brittany]], and her second husband [[Odo II, Viscount of Porhoët]]{{sfn|Vincent|2007|p=331}}
* Bertha (1218-1228)
* Bertha (1218–1228)
* Alice of Blois (1228-1244) daughter of [[Theobald V, Count of Blois]], and his second wife [[Alix of France]].{{sfn|Berman|2018|p=75}}
* Alice of Blois (1228–1244) daughter of [[Theobald V, Count of Blois]], and his second wife [[Alix of France]].{{sfn|Berman|2018|p=75}}
* Mabile of La Ferté (1244-1265)
* Mabile of La Ferté (1244–1265)
* Jeanne de Dreux (1265-1276)
* Jeanne de Dreux (1265–1276)
* Isabeau Davoir (1276-1284)
* Isabeau Davoir (1276–1284)
* Marguerite de Pocey (1284-1304)
* Marguerite de Pocey (1284–1304)
* [[Eleanor of Brittany (abbess)|Eleanor of Brittany]] (1304-1342)
* [[Eleanor of Brittany (abbess)|Eleanor of Brittany]] (1304–1342)
* Isabel of Valois (1342-?)
* Isabel of Valois (1342-?)
* Marie of Brittany (1457-1477)
* Marie of Brittany (1457–1477)
* [[Anne of Orléans, Abbess of Fontevraud|Anne of Orléans]] (1477-1491)
* [[Anne of Orléans, Abbess of Fontevraud|Anne of Orléans]] (1477–1491)
* Renée de Bourbon (1491-1534)
* Renée de Bourbon (1491–1534)
* Louise de Bourbon (1534-1575)
* Louise de Bourbon (1534–1575)
* Éléonore de Bourbon (1575-1611)
* Éléonore de Bourbon (1575–1611)
* Louise de Bourbon de Lavedan (1611-1637)
* Louise de Bourbon de Lavedan (1611–1637)
* [[:fr:Jeanne-Baptiste de Bourbon|Jeanne-Baptiste de Bourbon]] (1637-1670)
* [[:fr:Jeanne-Baptiste de Bourbon|Jeanne-Baptiste de Bourbon]] (1637–1670)
* [[Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (nun)|Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart]] (1670-1704)
* [[Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (nun)|Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart]] (1670–1704)
* Louise-Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1704-1742), niece of the previous abbess
* Louise-Françoise de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1704–1742), niece of the previous abbess
* Marie-Louise de Timbrone (1753-1765)
* Marie-Louise de Timbrone (1753–1765)
* Julie-Gillette de Pardaillan d'Antin (1765-1792)<ref name=WIP />
* Julie-Gillette de Pardaillan d'Antin (1765–1792)<ref name=WIP />


==Architecture==
==Architecture==
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===Church===
===Church===
<gallery>
<gallery>
Abbaye Fontevraud - Eglise Abbatiale, facade ouest.jpg| West facade of the church.
Abbaye Fontevraud - Eglise Abbatiale, facade ouest.jpg| West facade
Abbaye de Fontevraud - 006.JPG|Chevet.
Abbaye de Fontevraud - 006.JPG|Chevet
Abbaye_Fontevraud_-_Interieur_Eglise_Abbatiale.jpg|Inside view of the nave.
Abbaye_Fontevraud_-_Interieur_Eglise_Abbatiale.jpg|Nave interior
Abbaye de Fontevraud - 064.JPG|View of the choir, the ambulatory and the choir's chapel.
Abbaye de Fontevraud - 064.JPG|View of choir, ambulatory, and choir chapel
</gallery>
</gallery>


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==Features==
==Features==
The abbey was originally the site of the graves of [[King Henry II of England]], his wife [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], their son King [[Richard I of England]], their daughter [[Joan of England, Queen consort of Sicily|Joan]], their grandson [[Raymond VII of Toulouse]], and [[Isabella of Angoulême]], wife of Henry and Eleanor's son [[John I of England|King John]]. However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard, or the others on the site. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution. The bodies of the French monarchs were likewise removed from the [[Basilica of St Denis]] in 1793 by order of the French government.<ref name=lindsay>{{cite web|last1=Lindsay|first1=Suzanne Glover|title=The Revolutionary Exhumations at St-Denis, 1793|url=http://mavcor.yale.edu/conversations/essays/revolutionary-exhumations-st-denis-1793|website=Center for the Study of Material & Visual Cultures of Religion|publisher=Yale University}}</ref>
The abbey was originally the site of the graves of [[King Henry II of England]], his wife [[Eleanor of Aquitaine]], their son King [[Richard I of England]], their daughter [[Joan of England, Queen consort of Sicily|Joan]], their grandson [[Raymond VII of Toulouse]], and [[Isabella of Angoulême]], wife of Henry and Eleanor's son [[John I of England|King John]]. However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard, or the others on the site. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution. The bodies of the French monarchs were likewise removed from the [[Basilica of St Denis]] in 1793 by order of the French government.<ref name=lindsay>{{cite web|last1=Lindsay|first1=Suzanne Glover|title=The Revolutionary Exhumations at St-Denis, 1793|url=http://mavcor.yale.edu/conversations/essays/revolutionary-exhumations-st-denis-1793|website=Center for the Study of Material & Visual Cultures of Religion|date=18 October 2014 |publisher=Yale University}}</ref>


[[Henriette Louise de Bourbon]], granddaughter of Louis XIV and [[Madame de Montespan]], grew up here. [[Princess Thérèse of France]], daughter of Louis&nbsp;XV, is also buried there.
[[Henriette Louise de Bourbon]], granddaughter of Louis XIV and [[Madame de Montespan]], grew up here. [[Princess Thérèse of France]], daughter of Louis&nbsp;XV, is also buried here.


==Cultural references==
==Cultural references==
[[File:Loire Maine Fontevraud1 tango7174.jpg|thumb|250px|The cloister galleries.]]
[[File:Loire Maine Fontevraud1 tango7174.jpg|thumb|250px|The cloister galleries]]


[[Jean Genet]] described the experiences of a thirty-year-old prisoner at Fontevraud in his semi-autobiographical novel, ''[[Miracle de la rose]]'', although there is no evidence that Genet was ever imprisoned there himself.
[[Jean Genet]] described the experiences of a thirty-year-old prisoner at Fontevraud in his semi-autobiographical novel, ''[[Miracle de la rose]]'', although there is no evidence that Genet was ever imprisoned there himself.
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[History of Medieval Arabic and Western European domes]]
* [[History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes]]
* [[Nuneaton Priory]] – Daughter house in England


==References==
==References==
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==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
* Alvira, Martín (2020). “''Dilecta consanguinea mea''. A Donation of Fernando III to a Nun of Fontevraud”. In Holt, Edward L.; Witcombe, Teresa (eds.). ''The Sword and the Cross. Castile-León in the Era of Fernando III''. Leiden: Brill, p.&nbsp;105-139.
*{{cite book |title=Henry II: New Interpretations |chapter=The Court of Henry II |first=Nicholas |last=Vincent |editor-first1=Christopher |editor-last1=Harper-Bill |editor-first2=Nicholas |editor-last2=Vincent |publisher=The Boydell Press |year=2007 |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |title=The White Nuns: Cistercian Abbeys for Women in Medieval France |first=Constance Hoffman |last=Berman |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2018 |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |title=Henry II: New Interpretations |chapter=The Court of Henry II |first=Nicholas |last=Vincent |editor-first1=Christopher |editor-last1=Harper-Bill |editor-first2=Nicholas |editor-last2=Vincent |publisher=The Boydell Press |year=2007 }}
*{{cite book |title=The White Nuns: Cistercian Abbeys for Women in Medieval France |first=Constance Hoffman |last=Berman |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=2018 }}
*{{cite journal |title=Negotiating the Boundaries of Gender in Religious Life: Robert of Arbrissel and Hersende, Abelard and Heloise |first=Constant J. |last=Mews |pages=113–148 |journal=Viator |publisher=CMRS Center for Early Global Studies |volume=37 |year=2006 |doi=10.1484/J.VIATOR.2.3017481 }}
*Melot, Michel (1971) ''L'abbaye de Fontevrault''. Paris: Jacques Lanore
*Melot, Michel (1971) ''L'abbaye de Fontevrault''. Paris: Jacques Lanore
*Müller, Annalena (2014), Forming and Re-Forming Fontevraud. Monasticism, Geopolitics, and the Querelle des Frères (c. 1100-1643), doctoral dissertation, Yale University 2014.
*Müller, Annalena (2014), Forming and Re-Forming Fontevraud. Monasticism, Geopolitics, and the Querelle des Frères (c. 1100–1643), doctoral dissertation, Yale University 2014.
*Pohu, J. (1961) ''L'abbaye royale de Fontevrault''. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu
*Pohu, J. (1961) ''L'abbaye royale de Fontevrault''. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu
*Pohu, J. (1979) ''The royal abbey of Fontevraud''. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu
*Pohu, J. (1979) ''The royal abbey of Fontevraud''. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu
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==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*[Nicquet, H.] (1586) ''Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault''. Angers, 1586; and Paris, 1643
*[Nicquet, H.] (1586) ''Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault''. Angers, 1586; and Paris, 1643
*Édouard (pseud. of A. Biron) (1873-74) ''Fontevrault et ses monuments; ou histoire de cette royale abbaye depuis sa fondation jusqu'à sa suppression, 1100-1793''. 2 vols.
*Édouard (pseud. of A. Biron) (1873–74) ''Fontevrault et ses monuments; ou histoire de cette royale abbaye depuis sa fondation jusqu'à sa suppression, 1100–1793''. 2 vols.
*''Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault, 1100-1908''; by the Religious of Sainte-Marie-de-Fontevrault-de-Boulaur (afterwards at Vera in Navarre). 3 vols. Auch, 1911-15
*''Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault, 1100–1908''; by the Religious of Sainte-Marie-de-Fontevrault-de-Boulaur (afterwards at Vera in Navarre). 3 vols. Auch, 1911–15


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.fontevraud.fr/ Official site in French]
* [http://www.fontevraud.fr/ Official site in French]
* [http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/ Official site in English]
* [http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/ Official site in English]
* [https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/partner/abbaye-royale-de-fontevraud Fontevraud Royal Abbey on Google Cultural Institute]
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/abbaye-royale-de-fontevraud Fontevraud Royal Abbey on Google Cultural Institute]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06129b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia article]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06129b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia article]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150505204526/http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/France/North_%26_Centre/Fontevraud/Fontevraud.htm Royal Abbey of Fontevraud and the famous Gisants (painted tomb effigies) of Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II and King Richard I]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150505204526/http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/France/North_%26_Centre/Fontevraud/Fontevraud.htm Royal Abbey of Fontevraud and the famous Gisants (painted tomb effigies) of Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II and King Richard I]
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Buildings and structures in Maine-et-Loire]]
[[Category:Fontevraud Abbey| ]]
[[Category:Benedictine nunneries in France]]
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[[Category:Double monasteries]]
[[Category:1101 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1101 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1100s establishments in France]]
[[Category:1100s establishments in France]]
[[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 12th century]]
[[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 1100s]]
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[[Category:Order of Fontevraud]]
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[[Category:Eleanor of Aquitaine]]
[[Category:1792 disestablishments in France]]
[[Category:1792 disestablishments in France]]
[[Category:Defunct prisons in France]]
[[Category:Romanesque architecture in France]]
[[Category:Women's shelters]]
[[Category:Arts centres in France]]
[[Category:Museums in Maine-et-Loire]]
[[Category:History museums in France]]
[[Category:Religious museums in France]]
[[Category:Monuments historiques of Pays de la Loire]]
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[[Category:House of Plantagenet]]
[[Category:Monuments of the Centre des monuments nationaux]]

Revision as of 06:11, 28 November 2024

Fontevraud Abbey
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Fontevraud
Monastery information
Full nameAbbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud
Other namesAbbey of Fontevrault
OrderOrder of Fontevrault
Established1101
Disestablished1792
Dedicated toOur Lady
DioceseAngers
People
Founder(s)Blessed Robert of Arbrissel
Important associated figuresHenry II of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart
Architecture
Statussuppressed
Functional statusCultural Center & Museum
Heritage designationHistoric monument of France, World Heritage Site
Designated date1840
StyleRomanesque, Gothic, Classical
Groundbreaking1101
Site
Coordinates47°10′53″N 0°03′06″E / 47.18139°N 0.05167°E / 47.18139; 0.05167

The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud or Fontevrault (in French: abbaye de Fontevraud) was a monastery in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in the former French Duchy of Anjou. It was founded in 1101 by the itinerant preacher Robert of Arbrissel. The foundation flourished and became the centre of a new monastic Order, the Order of Fontevraud. This order was composed of double monasteries, in which the community consisted of both men and women — in separate quarters of the abbey — all of whom were subject to the authority of the Abbess of Fontevraud. The Abbey of Fontevraud itself consisted of four separate communities, all managed by the same abbess.

The first permanent structures were built between 1110 and 1119.[1] The area where the Abbey is located was then part of what is sometimes referred to as the Angevin Empire. The king of England, Henry II, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their son, King Richard the Lionheart, were all buried here at the end of the 12th century. It was seized and disestablished as a monastery during the French Revolution.

The Abbey is situated in the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire within the Loire-Anjou-Touraine French regional natural park (Parc naturel régional Loire-Anjou-Touraine).

The complex of monastic buildings served as a prison from 1804 to 1963. Since 1975, it has hosted a cultural centre, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest.

History

Founder

Main article: Robert of Arbrissel
Abbey of La Roë
Tomb effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Fontevraud Abbey
Map of the Abbey

Robert of Arbrissel had served as the Archpriest of the Diocese of Rennes, carrying out the reformist agenda of its bishop. When the bishop died in 1095, Robert was driven out of the diocese due to the hostility of the local clergy. He then became a hermit in the forest of Craon, where he practiced a life of severe penance, together with a number of other men who went on to found major monastic institutions. His eloquence and asceticism attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded a monastery of canons regular at La Roë, of which he was the first abbot. In that same year Pope Urban II summoned him to Angers and appointed him an apostolic missionary, authorizing him to preach anywhere. His preaching drew large crowds of devoted followers, both men and women, even lepers. As a result, many men wished to embrace the religious life, and he sent these to his abbey. When the canons of that house objected to the influx of candidates of lower social states, he resigned his office and left the community.[2]

Fontevraud

Around 1100 Robert and his followers settled in a valley called Fons Ebraldi where he established a monastic community. Initially the men and women lived together in the same house, in an ancient ascetic practice called Syneisaktism. This practice had been widely condemned by Church authorities, however, and under pressure the community soon segregated according to gender, with the monks living in small priories where they lived in community in service to the nuns and under their rule. Sometime before 1106, Fulk IV, Count of Anjou gave a significant property gift to the abbey.[3]

They were recognized as a religious community in 1106, both by the Bishop of Angers and by Pope Paschal II. Robert, who soon resumed his life of itinerant preaching, appointed Hersende of Champagne to lead the community. Later her assistant, Petronilla of Chemillé, was elected as the first abbess in 1115.

Robert wrote a brief Rule of Life for the community, based upon the Rule of St. Benedict. Unlike the other monastic orders characterized by double monasteries, the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevrault followed the same Rule. In his Rule, Robert dealt with four principal points: silence, good works, food and clothing, encouraging the utmost in simplicity of life and dress. He directed that the abbess should never be chosen from among those who had been brought up at Fontevrault, but that she should be someone who had had experience of the world (de conversis sororibus). This latter injunction was observed only in the case of the first two abbesses and was canceled by Pope Innocent III in 1201. At the time of Robert's death in 1117, there were about 3,000 nuns in the community.[2]

In the early years the Plantagenets were great benefactors of the abbey and while Isabella d'Anjou was the abbess, King Henry II's widow, Eleanor of Aquitaine, made the abbey her place of residence.[1] Abbess Louise de Bourbon left her crest on many of the alterations to the abbey building which she made during her term of office.

Tomb effigies of King Richard I of England (right) and Queen Isabella of Angoulême (left)

Decline

With the passing of the Plantagenet dynasty, Fontevrault and her dependencies began to fall upon hard times. At the end of the 12th century, the Abbess of Fontevrault, Matilda of Flanders (1189–1194), complained about the extreme poverty which the abbey was suffering. As a result, in 1247 the nuns were permitted to receive inheritances to provide income for their needs, contrary to monastic custom. The fragile economic basis of the Order was exacerbated by the devastation of the Hundred Years War, which lasted throughout the 14th century. A canonical visitation of fifty of the priories of the Order in 1460 showed most of them to be barely occupied, if not abandoned.

Later history and suppression

Due to financial pressures the youngest four of the six daughters of Louis XV were sent to the abbey to be raised. Each was brought up at the abbey until the age of 15.

The Order was dispersed during the French Revolution. In November 1789, all property of the Catholic Church in France was declared to be the property of the nation. On 17 August 1792, a Revolutionary decree ordered evacuation of all monasteries, to be completed by 1 October 1792. At that time, there were still some 200 nuns and a small community of monks in residence at Fontevraud. The last abbess, Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin, is said to have died in poverty in Paris in 1797.[4] The abbey became a prison in 1804.[1]

The prison was planned to hold 1,000 prisoners and the former abbey required major changes, including new barracks in addition to the transformation of monastic buildings into dormitories, workshops, and common areas. Prisoners—men, women and children—began arriving in 1814. Eventually it held some 2,000 prisoners, earning the prison the reputation of being the "toughest in France after Clairvaux" (also a former abbey). Political prisoners were subjected to the harshest conditions. Under the Vichy Government, some French Resistance prisoners were shot there.

In 1963 it was given to the French Ministry of Culture,[1] and a major restoration was undertaken. In 1975 the Centre culturel de l'Ouest was formed to preserve the abbey and promote it as a cultural venue. The complex was opened to the public in 1985. Restoration of the abbey church according to the earlier restoration under the architect Lucien Magne was completed in 2006.[5]

The order was revived by Mme Rose in 1806 as one for women only and following a modified rule.[6]

List of abbesses

Abbess Gabrielle de Rochechouart (1645–1704)
Abbess Julie de Pardaillan (1725–1797)

Architecture

Church

  • West facade
    West facade
  • Chevet
    Chevet
  • Nave interior
    Nave interior
  • View of choir, ambulatory, and choir chapel
    View of choir, ambulatory, and choir chapel

Cloister

Chapter house

Features

The abbey was originally the site of the graves of King Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son King Richard I of England, their daughter Joan, their grandson Raymond VII of Toulouse, and Isabella of Angoulême, wife of Henry and Eleanor's son King John. However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard, or the others on the site. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution. The bodies of the French monarchs were likewise removed from the Basilica of St Denis in 1793 by order of the French government.[9]

Henriette Louise de Bourbon, granddaughter of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan, grew up here. Princess Thérèse of France, daughter of Louis XV, is also buried here.

Cultural references

The cloister galleries

Jean Genet described the experiences of a thirty-year-old prisoner at Fontevraud in his semi-autobiographical novel, Miracle de la rose, although there is no evidence that Genet was ever imprisoned there himself.

La Cage aux Rossignols (A Cage of Nightingales), a French film released in 1945, was filmed at the abbey.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Melot (1971)
  2. ^ a b Catholic Encyclopedia Robert of Arbissel
  3. ^ Mews 2006, p. 135.
  4. ^ a b "Reigning Abbess Julie Sophie Charlotte de Pardaillan d'Antin of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud (France)". Women in Power.
  5. ^ "Transformation de l'Abbaye en Prison". l'Abbaye de Fontevraud. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  6. ^ Cross, F. L., ed. (1957) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. London: Oxford University Press; p. 512
  7. ^ Vincent 2007, p. 331.
  8. ^ Berman 2018, p. 75.
  9. ^ Lindsay, Suzanne Glover (18 October 2014). "The Revolutionary Exhumations at St-Denis, 1793". Center for the Study of Material & Visual Cultures of Religion. Yale University.

Bibliography

  • Alvira, Martín (2020). “Dilecta consanguinea mea. A Donation of Fernando III to a Nun of Fontevraud”. In Holt, Edward L.; Witcombe, Teresa (eds.). The Sword and the Cross. Castile-León in the Era of Fernando III. Leiden: Brill, p. 105-139.
  • Vincent, Nicholas (2007). "The Court of Henry II". In Harper-Bill, Christopher; Vincent, Nicholas (eds.). Henry II: New Interpretations. The Boydell Press.
  • Berman, Constance Hoffman (2018). The White Nuns: Cistercian Abbeys for Women in Medieval France. University of Pennsylvania Press.
  • Mews, Constant J. (2006). "Negotiating the Boundaries of Gender in Religious Life: Robert of Arbrissel and Hersende, Abelard and Heloise". Viator. 37. CMRS Center for Early Global Studies: 113–148. doi:10.1484/J.VIATOR.2.3017481.
  • Melot, Michel (1971) L'abbaye de Fontevrault. Paris: Jacques Lanore
  • Müller, Annalena (2014), Forming and Re-Forming Fontevraud. Monasticism, Geopolitics, and the Querelle des Frères (c. 1100–1643), doctoral dissertation, Yale University 2014.
  • Pohu, J. (1961) L'abbaye royale de Fontevrault. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu
  • Pohu, J. (1979) The royal abbey of Fontevraud. Fontevraud: l'abbé Pohu

Further reading

  • [Nicquet, H.] (1586) Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault. Angers, 1586; and Paris, 1643
  • Édouard (pseud. of A. Biron) (1873–74) Fontevrault et ses monuments; ou histoire de cette royale abbaye depuis sa fondation jusqu'à sa suppression, 1100–1793. 2 vols.
  • Histoire de l'ordre de Fontevrault, 1100–1908; by the Religious of Sainte-Marie-de-Fontevrault-de-Boulaur (afterwards at Vera in Navarre). 3 vols. Auch, 1911–15
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