Abbatiale Notre-Dame de Mouzon

Mouzon

On the banks of the Meuse, the abbey church of Notre-Dame overwhelms the little town of Mouzon with its mass. A Benedictine nunnery existed here as early as the 9th century; ravaged by a Viking raid in 882, the site was restored by Archbishop Herivée (900–920), and then in 971 Adalbero, archbishop of Reims, installed Benedictine monks from Thin-le-Moutier. The relics of Saint Victor and Saint Arnoul drew so many pilgrims that an innovative Gothic choir was begun in the 1190s; after the fire of 1212, transept and nave were rebuilt up to the middle of the 13th century, the upper parts of the towers dating from the 16th century. A rare curiosity: an anchorhold measuring 2.1 m by 1.1 m bears witness to the presence of at least two voluntary recluses, among them Mathilde de Villemontry, attested in 1197, walled up in prayer against the church. The abbey church houses a major organ built by Christophe Moucherel (1723–1725), rebuilt by Dejardin in 1879 and then restored; the baroque high altar was consecrated in 1728. Turned into a Temple of Reason in 1793, struck by lightning in 1807, entered on the first list of historic monuments (1840), restored by Émile Boeswillwald from 1855 to 1890, it remains one of the first great masterpieces of Gothic in the Ardennes.

Getting there : Place de l'Abbatiale, 08210 Mouzon; free admission, audioguide (€3–6), parking and garden, accessible to people with reduced mobility

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

Ambient sound