Abbaye d'Auberive

Auberive

A Cistercian abbey with a troubled history, passing from monastic silence to the din of the prison cells before being reborn as a place of art.

Founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard, then abbot of Clairvaux, the abbey of Auberive became the twenty-fourth daughter house of Clairvaux and reached its apogee in the 13th century. The Hundred Years' War proved fatal to it economically, its flock of sheep falling from 2,540 to 600 head between 1386 and 1418. Largely rebuilt in the 18th century, it then met a singular fate: a women's prison from 1859 to 1885, then a reformatory for girls (1885–1891) and an agricultural colony for boys (1894–1924). Since the 2000s it has belonged to the Volot family, who have turned it into a cultural and contemporary art centre.

Getting there : Listed as a monument historique (historic monument) in stages since 1956; private property (Volot family), contemporary art centre open to visitors in season

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

Ambient sound