Royaumont Abbey, Asnières-sur-Oise, France

Royaumont Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey built between 1228 and 1235 with the support of Louis IX. Several members of the French Royal family were buried here (instead of Saint Denis Basilica), for example, three children and two grandchildren of Louis IX.

The abbey was dissolved in 1791 during the French Revolution and the stones were partly used to build a factory. However, the sacristy, cloister, and refectory remained intact.

In 1836 and 1838, respectively, two operas by German composer Friedrich von Flotow opened at Royaumont—Sérafine and Le Comte de Saint-Mégrin.

In the early 20th century, the abbey was bought by the Goüin family who in 1964 created the Royaumont Foundation, the first private French cultural foundation. Today, the abbey is a tourist attraction and also serves as a cultural centre.

From January 1915 to March 1919 the Abbey was turned into a voluntary hospital, operated by Scottish Women's Hospitals, under the direction of the French Red Cross. It was especially noted for its performance treating soldiers involved in the Battle of the Somme.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Ibrahim Akid (4 years ago)
Beautiful place: Royaumont Abbey. __________________ Pictures taken by Raouf Ben Amor

F Frankyex (4 years ago)
A beautiful Part of the french history which you can visit here!

Sohail Ahmed (5 years ago)
Very underwhelming, gardens not taken care off very well but otherwise a beautiful building

Stroescu Mircea (6 years ago)
Beautiful place with a lot of history, lots of festivals, concerts and different organised activities. You can just visit or stay the night, the restaurant serves good food with local grown vegetables.

Thierry Masquilier (6 years ago)
Absolutely stunning place! Highly recommend... Walk around the gardens, discover what the place could have been way back when ... Nice weekend outing

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.

Royaumont 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

Walls of Constantinople