Property of the Sarthe departmentThe Royal Abbey of l'Épau, a listed historical monument, is one of the finest examples of Cistercian architecture in France We owe its construction to none other than a (short-lived) Queen of England: Berengaria of Navarre.
Born around 1160, this Navarrese princess married Richard the Lionheart in 1191. Thanks to this advantageous alliance, she became Queen of England, Duchess of Normandy, and Countess of Anjou and Maine. Her fate was soon to change once again with the death of her husband, who died suddenly after being struck in the shoulder by an arrow from a crossbow.
John Lackland, her brother-in-law and new king, then refused to give Berengaria the lands to which she was entitled through her dowry. Having become Lady of Le Mans in 1204 following the death of her stepmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and negotiations with the French king Philip Augustus, she decided in the early 1220s to build an abbey worthy of receiving his body after his deathThe construction of the Epau Abbey began, and the first monks arrived as early as 1230. According to the wishes of Berengaria,'abbey welcomes the Cistercian order' whose associated architecture has only one key word: the sobriety.
La construction spans from 1230 to 1365. Modified in the 16th and 17th centuries, the abbey was sold as national property during the French Revolution and transformed into a farm by its new owner; the abbey church became a barn and the Saint Sebastian chapel served as a carpentry workshop. In 1924, the owning family subdivided the property and sold the site. Initial restoration work was then undertaken but quickly halted by the arrival of German troops who occupied the site in 1943.
Le 1er In January 1959, the Sarthe department acquired the royal abbey of l'Épau and is undertaking the intensive restoration of the buildings. Thanks to him, it is today a important cultural center The abbey hosts temporary exhibitions, heritage activities, and workshops for young audiences. It is also surrounded by a 13-hectare wooded park, home to centuries-old trees and numerous bird species. Many events are held there each year, and a major permaculture project has recently been launched; the Sarthe department aims to restore the abbey gardens to their original purpose: providing food. Today, the permaculture garden supplies the Café des Moines, the abbey's restaurant, with seasonal fruits and vegetables!
- Continue your exploration of the Loire Valley with the circuit The most beautiful castles around Le Mans and Laval which includes the royal abbey of Épau.
