Abbaye de Bival

Envermeu

The abbey of Sainte-Madeleine de Bival was born of a gift from Hugh IV of Gournay, who offered twelve acres of land "so that an abbey might be built there", probably before 1154. Placed under the authority of the neighbouring Cistercian abbey of Beaubec, the community of nuns passed through turbulent centuries. The most revealing episode in the life of this abbey came in 1248, when the celebrated Archbishop of Rouen Eudes Rigaud, known for the meticulous pastoral visitations recorded in his famous register, intervened personally in the affairs of the house: he compelled the abbess Aliénor, compromised in matters of morals, to yield her office to Marguerite d'Aulnay, and also had to reconcile two nuns who refused to speak to each other. These conflicts, typical of daily life in a small rural community, bear witness to the vigilance exercised over these women's houses. In 1790, the abbey was closed and the nuns driven out; the buildings, sold as national property, were turned into a farm, and the church itself was destroyed in the 19th century. Almost nothing remains today of the monastic life that animated this place for more than six hundred years.

Getting there : In the commune of Nesle-Hodeng, a few kilometres from Envermeu (Seine-Maritime)

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

Ambient sound