Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes

Solesmes

Gregorian chant found its source here again: every service immerses the visitor in a single-voiced song beyond time.

Founded in 1010 and overlooking the valley of the Sarthe, the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes became from the 19th century the principal centre of the restoration of Gregorian chant, driven from 1856 by Dom Paul Jausions and Dom Joseph Pothier, then by Dom André Mocquereau, who launched the Paléographie musicale in 1889. The church also preserves the celebrated "Saints of Solesmes", a group of Renaissance sculptures including the monumental Entombment of Our Lord (1496) and the Belle Chapelle, raised as an ex-voto after a Huguenot attack in 1567.

Getting there : Church listed as a monument historique (historic monument) in 1875; Benedictine abbey still active, services open to the public

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

Ambient sound