Abbaye aux Dames

Saintes, France

The Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies' Abbey') was the first Benedictine nunnery in Saintes. The abbey was founded in 1047 by Geoffrey II, Count of Anjou, and his wife Agnes. Agnes later retired to the nunnery and died there.

One of its abbesses was Agnès of Barbezieux (1134–1174), whose relative, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a generous donor to the abbey. The abbey church, Sainte-Marie-des-Dames, dates from the 12th century.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Place de l'Abbaye 11, Saintes, France

See all sites in Saintes

Details

Founded: 1047
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Birth of Capetian dynasty (France)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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Château de Crazannes (12,4 km)
Sablonceaux Abbey (19,9 km)

User Reviews

Andrew Holt (3 months ago)
Don't normally like audio guides on self guided tours, this one's included in entry price & is essential to access the most interesting areas, also helps that the guides funny & informative.

Vrushali Patil (7 months ago)
Lovely wedding place however they are limited on bathroom spaces and cpuld benefit from better signage.

angela lambert (16 months ago)
Very pretty in a small place stranded in for half an hour on way to to Bordeaux.

Rose Youtube (18 months ago)
Make sure if you get an audio it is clearly explained. My audio battery ran out shortly after starting the tour. Being on a tight timeframe, I couldn't catch my wife and returned the audio and waited for my wife to finish the tour. Disappointingly, they were unwilling to provide a refund.

Luca Lategan (2 years ago)
Worth a visit to see the ancient sculptures and architecture that has been well and) preserved!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Wikimedia Commons

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