Saint-Jouin de Marnes Abbey, Plaine-et-Vallées, France

The abbey of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes was built in the 11th and 12th centuries to the site of 4th century oratory. The abbey was fortified in the 14th century and is an impressive size, measuring 72 metres long and 15 metres tall. It contains beautiful Poitevin Romanesque art. Visitors can also admire the arches of its doors with their sculpted motifs, the scene of the Last Judgment adorning the pediment, the square bell tower with round bays, and in the majestic chancel, the oak stalls and eagle-shaped lectern from the 17th century.

User Reviews

Elizabeth Treeby (2 years ago)
Place of great calm and peacefulness.

Wayne Forster (2 years ago)
A beautiful church but sadly we couldn't go in

Nunio Vasileva (3 years ago)
Very pretty old cathedral

Rob Mil (4 years ago)
Wery good

John Chandler (5 years ago)
A special place and hidden gem in the area. There are occasionally special cultural events here, too.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright gwpics

Historic Site of the week

Abbey of Saint-Georges

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).

Saint-Jouin de Marnes Abbey

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Abbey of Saint-Georges