Abbaye Saint-Étienne de Bassac

Bassac

The story begins with a pilgrims' vow. Around the year 1000, Wardrade Lorichès, lord of Jarnac, and his wife Rixendis were returning from a pilgrimage to Rome: in 1002 they founded, on the banks of the Charente, a Benedictine abbey dedicated to Saint Stephen, whose charter bears the signature of Pope Benedict VIII and which Bishop Grimoard of Angoulême consecrated around 1015. Twenty monks from Saint-Cybard formed the first community. A thousand years later, prayers are still said at Bassac — something exceedingly rare in the Charente. Yet the abbey has weathered everything: the tutelage imposed by Urban II in favour of Saint-Jean-d'Angély (1095–1246), plunder by Anglo-Gascon troops in 1434, then the turmoil of the Wars of Religion — in March 1569 the Battle of Jarnac was fought at its gates, and Catholics and Protestants in turn sacked the monastery. The Maurists restored it in the 17th and 18th centuries and left it a remarkable ensemble of panelling, carved stalls and rood screen. In the Gothic church with its flat east end, beneath an arch, tradition points to the tomb of the founders, Wardrade and Rixendis, guardians of their foundation for ten centuries. The Romanesque bell tower, remodelled in the 13th century, is held to be one of the most elegant in the region and serves as a landmark for walkers in the valley. A religious community once more brings the place to life, welcoming retreatants and visitors amid cloister, gardens and vines.

Getting there : In the heart of the village of Bassac, between Jarnac (8 km, railway station) and Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, amid the vineyards of Grande Champagne. Parking in the village; church, cloister and gardens open free of charge all year round.

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

Ambient sound