Abbaye de Maubuisson

Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône

The place was called "Maubuisson" — the cursed bush — because this corner of the valley is said to have served as a lair for feared brigands. It was there, as if to ward off the ill-omened name, that Blanche of Castile acquired two fiefs on the banks of the Ru de Liesse around 1234–1236 and founded Notre-Dame-la-Royale, an abbey of Cistercian nuns destined to become one of the most prestigious in the kingdom. The abbey church was consecrated in 1244 in the presence of her son Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, who would make Maubuisson a familiar stopping place: it was here that he prepared himself before leaving on crusade. The founding queen died here and was buried here, in a nun's habit according to tradition. The royal abbey became the scene of momentous events: in 1307, Philip the Fair, staying here, settled on the decision to have the Templars seized throughout the kingdom; in 1314, the scandal of the king's daughters-in-law broke within its walls — the princesses Margaret and Blanche of Burgundy, convicted of adultery with the d'Aunay brothers, were confronted with their guilt here before being imprisoned, the so-called "Tour de Nesle affair" that would inspire "The Accursed Kings". Sold at the Revolution and then worked as a quarry, the abbey has lost its church, but the nuns' building, restored from 1977 to 1987, has housed a contemporary art centre since 2004: the artists now converse with the royal ghosts of the cursed bush.

Getting there : Avenue Richard-de-Tour, 95310 Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône; park open to the public, 13th-century rooms can be visited (the Département's contemporary art centre); Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône stations (line H, RER C) about fifteen minutes' walk away. Coordinates sourced from Val d'Oise Tourisme.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound