Fontevraud

Woken today by strange noises which turned out to be two hot air balloons regulating their gas overhead.

Another clear, warm day. A leisurely breakfast and off to Fontevraud abbey.

The Royal Abbey is a complex of religious buildings, 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 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 controlled by the same abbess.

The abbey was unique in that men were to be subservient to the women.

Eleanor or Aquitaine, Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and Isabella are all buried here.

The abbey site is huge. It was like a monastic city where there was no need to leave as everything was brought in.

The chapter house was beautiful. The original beautiful paintings on the wall had been added to during the Renaissance by the abbesses who had themselves painted into the scenes. Particularly strange on was the nun at her writing desk at the foot of the cross!

Disestablished as a monastery during the French Revolution, it served as a prison from 1804 to 1963. It has been heavily restored.

We had a wonderful lunch at the abbey before moving on. Next stop was Samur Chateau.

The Château de Saumur was originally built as a castle and later developed as a château. It was originally constructed in the 10th century by Theobald I, Count of Blois, as a fortified stronghold against Norman predations. It overlooks the confluence of the Loire and the Thouet. In 1026 it came into the hands of Fulk Nerra, count of Anjou, who bequeathed it to his Plantagenet heirs. Following its destruction in 1067, the castle was rebuilt by Henry II of England in the later 12th century. It had great views of the Loire.

In 1621 the castle was converted into an army barracks. Nearly two centuries later it was converted into a state prison under Napoleon Bonaparte.

D'eglise collegiality Saint Martin Was our final stop of the day.

The name Candes is thought to derive from a Gallic word for confluence, and is found in several other similarly sited towns in the region; the termination Saint-Martin was formally added in 1949, although it had been in common usage for many years. Evidence of Gallo-Roman occupation was found in 19th century excavations, particularly in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace which crowns the hill.

The village takes its name - and its main claim to fame- from the magnificent church which has succeeded the 4th century monastery where St Martin, Bishop of Tours and 'Apostle to the Gauls', died in 397.

 

On the way home we stopped at a Super U and did some shopping and then it was home for tea.