Abbaye de Bonport

Pont-de-l'Arche

The legend, passed down for centuries along the Norman Seine, tells that in the thick of a hunt, Richard the Lionheart, then duke of Normandy, set off in pursuit of a stag and nearly drowned trying to cross the river on horseback. Terrified, he vowed to found an abbey on the exact spot where his mount regained its footing on the bank — hence the name "bon port", the saving haven. No charter confirms the tale in detail, but the abbey was indeed founded in 1189 by monks from Notre-Dame du Val, with the support of the future king of England. Like so many Cistercian abbeys, Bonport went into a long decline after the Revolution: the abbey church was sold off as a stone quarry and gradually vanished until the middle of the 19th century. All that survives today are the 13th-century cellar and refectory, the farm, the dovecote and the dormitory, remodelled in the classical period. Private property ever since, the estate is undergoing patient restoration and can be visited notably during the European Heritage Days, offering a rare testimony to the piety — and the superstition — of a king better known for his battles than for his monastic vows.

Getting there : On the banks of the Seine, between Pont-de-l'Arche and Le Manoir, Eure; visits during the Heritage Days and by reservation

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

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