Abbaye de Boschaud

Villars

Nestled in a wooded valley of the Périgord Vert, the abbey of Boschaud was born in the 12th century of the wish of hermits seeking community life, in the circle of Géraud de Salles. A rare thing in the region: rather than joining the neighbouring abbeys of Cadouin or Dalon, the little community waited several decades before attaching itself to the abbey of Notre-Dame-de-Ré. The church that then rose adopted an inverted Cistercian plan, unique in France, capped with bold domes on squinches of Romano-Byzantine inspiration — an architectural choice that sets Boschaud apart from all its Cistercian sisters. The Wars of Religion hit the abbey hard; partly destroyed, it was patched up as best it could be in the 17th century. At the Revolution, only a single monk remained when the authorities closed the monastery's doors for good. Long abandoned to the vegetation, the romantic ruins of Boschaud, with their arches and their broken domes open to the sky, are today maintained by the commune of Villars, which holds exhibitions and concerts there, bringing these silent stones back to life.

Getting there : Near the Grotte de Villars, in the Périgord Vert (Dordogne); free access to the ruins

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

Ambient sound