Abbaye Notre-Dame de Melleray

La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne

Melleray was founded in 1145 by monks from Pontron, in Anjou, on lands of the lords of Moisdon. Placed in commendam in 1544, it had only three monks in 1768. Sold during the Revolution, it was bought back on 8 February 1817 by dom Antoine Saulnier de Beauregard. He installed there Trappists from England, from the refuge of Lulworth, many of them Irish. From 59 monks at the start, the community reached 192 religious in 1829. On 12 November 1831, after the July Revolution, 79 British religious were expelled; they founded Mount Melleray, in Ireland, in 1833. In 1848, monks of Melleray founded Gethsemani, in the United States. In 1827, dom Antoine became head of the Trappe congregation. In 2015, for lack of vocations, the last Trappists entrusted the abbey to the Chemin Neuf community.

French Ministry of Culture — Mérimée record de l'abbaye de Melleray ↗

Getting there: Between Châteaubriant and Ancenis, by the D178 then La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne; church open, welcome provided by the Chemin Neuf community.

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

Ambient sound