From the royal abbey of Fontevraud to the Château de Brissac , between tasting in the vineyard villages and unusual diving into the troglodytes of the Bioparc – Doué-la-Fontaine Zoo , along the Loire à Vélo or into the mysteries of the Faluns , Anjou will seduce you!
The royal abbey of Fontevraud
An essential stopover in Saumur territory, the royal abbey of Fontevraud , is one of the largest monastic cities in Europe, which houses the necropolis of the Plantagenets dynasty (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionheart, etc.).
Founded in 1101, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, located in the Pays de la Loire, is the largest monastic city inherited from the Middle Ages. Completely restored, the site today brings its rich heritage to life through multidisciplinary cultural programming as well as numerous digital installations.
Create an “Ideal City”. This was the wish of Robert d'Arbrissel when he founded the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud in the 12th century. For 700 years, it hosted a mixed religious community, composed of nobles of royal blood and led by an abbess. Thanks to the will of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and then of England who was an emblematic figure of Fontevraud, the abbey was also the royal necropolis of the Plantagenet dynasty so we can still admire the recumbent figures today.
In 1804, Fontevraud was transformed into a prison on the orders of Napoleon, a function that it retained until 1963 before major restoration work was undertaken.
A living heritage
Today, Fontevraud Abbey brings its illustrious past back to life through a rich cultural program. From July 13, rediscover the significant moments in the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the members of the Plantagenet dynasty through four immersive experiences where reality and virtuality merge.
Walk through the Abbey and look for four QR Codes to scan using your smartphone or tablet. Superimposed reality technology will then immerse you in the lives of influential figures who shaped the history of France and England.
A unique opportunity to travel through time like never before:
- 1. The awakening of the recumbent figures : A dynasty, an empire, the Plantagenêts in the Middle Ages in Fontevraud
- 2. A woman of power : The alliances of a queen of character
- 3. From the Abbey to the necropolis : A royal burial, the influence of the Plantagenets
- 4. An enlightened queen : Eleanor, woman of letters and patron of the arts
Cultural season
Programming of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
Stone and Light
Beauty: inner or outer? At the very heart of their construction material, tuffeau, the most beautiful monuments of the Loire Valley have been meticulously sculpted, to scale, in this miniature park: a hymn to the beauty and work of the builders.
A few meters underground, in Saumur , it is possible to discover an unusual miniature park: in an old troglodyte quarry, a sculptor has reproduced features of the Loire Valley monuments in stone. Each work is a hymn to the beauty and work of the builders.
This unique exhibition is the fruit of the work of Breton sculptor Philippe Cormand. In total, it took him three years to create all these meticulously detailed reproductions.
The tour route reveals around twenty places sculpted down to the smallest details, sometimes directly in the wall. It is, for all audiences, an educational and artistic walk, another look at the architectural heritage of Anjou and Touraine.