he Notre-Dame de la Grainetière abbey is located in the commune of Les Herbiers. It was founded in 1130 by Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Fontdouce en Saintonge. However, construction began in earnest at the end of the 12th century to become an ensemble considered to be exemplary of Romanesque art in Vendée.
Several times burned down or looted during the Hundred Years War, then during the Wars of Religion, the abbey was partly restored at the beginning of the 17th century. However, in 1760, only one monk remained. During the Revolution convent buildings were sold to a farmer and the abbey church was gradually demolished.
It was not until 1963 that the site was bought and a long restoration campaign began and in 1979, a priory was established within the walls (religious from the Notre-Dame d'Espérance congregation still occupy the monastery).
The remains of the primitive abbey are highlighted, in particular the west gallery of the Romanesque cloister, with its small semicircular arches and double columns, the chapter room transformed into a chapel, three apses of the transept of the church abbey and two defensive towers to the south, one of which, known as the Abbot's Tower, was restored in 2001.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.