Abbaye de Fontdouce

Saint-Bris-des-Bois

Nestled in a small valley crossed by a stream, this Benedictine abbey founded in 1111 reached its height in the 12th century under the protection of Eleanor of Aquitaine, duchess and then queen of France and of England. It preserves two Romanesque chapels built one above the other, a chapter house with richly carved Gothic vaults and a 13th-century parlour. Like many abbeys in the region, it was ruined by the Hundred Years' War and then the Wars of Religion, before becoming a stone quarry after the Revolution — its remains were only rediscovered and excavated from the 1970s onwards.

Getting there : Admission charge

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

Ambient sound