Celles-sur-Belle Abbey, Celles-sur-Belle, France

Celles-sur-Belle royal abbey was founded in 1137. It was rebuilt in the 15th century and destroyed by Huguenots in 1568. The current abbey was reconstructed between 1660 and 1685 on the orders of Louis XIV.

Overlooking both the Belle Valley and beautiful French-style gardens, the majestic 17th-century convent buildings in the Louis XIV style house a museum where you can see the Abbot's room, a recreated monk's cell, and collections of religious objects and ecclesiastical clothing.

User Reviews

Chesca (13 months ago)
Peaceful and beautiful, worth a visit!

Rania Ibrahim (13 months ago)
It's one of the nicest places I visited in France ??

Véronique Nicky AFATA (16 months ago)
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George Nott (4 years ago)
Great visit with audio guide.

Mick Halpin (5 years ago)
Lovely Abbey in extensive grounds. Plenty to see inside, individual head sets so you can visit at your own pace. Motor bike museum is an add on tour. Interesting bikes but all in poor condition and coved in dust. (If you likes bikes the Museum in Melle is well worth a visit). The grounds are free to visit and really beautiful. Lots to keep the children happy, the fish in the pond are huge. Worth a visit. (Check opening times)

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Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.

The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).

Celles-sur-Belle Abbey

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