Abbaye du Bec-Hellouin

Le Bec-Hellouin

Founded in 1034 by the Norman knight Herluin, the abbey of Notre-Dame du Bec became in the 11th and 12th centuries one of the greatest intellectual centers in Europe thanks to its priors Lanfranc of Pavia and Anselm of Canterbury, both later archbishops of Canterbury. Secularized and then sold as national property at the Revolution, the abbey lost a large part of its medieval buildings; only the 15th-century Saint-Nicolas tower notably survives. Monastic life resumed there in 1948.

Getting there : Managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, open for visits, guesthouse for retreats

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

Ambient sound