Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Remiremont

Remiremont

One of the rare noble chapters of women in Europe, whose aristocratic aura still pervades the old town of Remiremont.

The abbey was founded around 620 by Saint Amé and Saint Romaric on the Mont Habend, above a former Roman site marking the road from Basel to Metz. At first a Benedictine community, it was secularised between the late 11th and the 12th century to become an imperial chapter of noble canonesses, admission requiring four quarterings of nobility on each side; in the 17th century, some fifty canonesses from the greatest families of Lorraine, Burgundy and Franche-Comté lived there. An earthquake in 1682 destroyed the transept vaults, rebuilt thanks to a gift of 6,000 livres from Louis XIV.

Getting there : Abbey church and crypt listed as historic monuments since 1840; former abbatial palace now the town hall; historic town centre free to explore

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

Ambient sound