Loire Valley by scooter to L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

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Tourist day today. This is when our scooter really comes in so useful. A quick check of our map and off we went East along the south side of the Loire for 10 kms and then a right turn up to Fontevraud and L’Abbaye Royale.
What an excellent choice for a visit. The guide literature describes it as ‘one of the largest monastic cities from the Middle Ages’ and it is certainly much more than one would expect to find in a normal abbey or chateau.
It was founded in 1101 as a community of religious men and women to became a monastic city consisting of 4 priories, 3 for the nuns and another for the men. It enjoyed royal protection throughout its history and Eleanor of Aquitaine, husband Henry ll of England, and their son, Richard I (the Lionheart) of England and his wife, Isabella, are all entombed here.
At the end of the Revolution it was taken over as a state prison and remained as one until 1963 by which time restoration work had begun (using the prison inmates). Full restoration started in the 1980s and continues today.
Our visit took us 4+ hours as there is so much to see. The church, with its soaring high roof, is magnificent as are the buildings of the abbey, the cloisters, chapter house, the dormitories for the nuns (later used to house the prisoners). The old kitchen building is wonderful, built in an octagonal shape with 21 high, circular chimneys and in Charente stone which is harder and darker than the beautiful pale golden tuffeau (Loire valley limestone) used for all the other buildings.
I always enjoy cloisters as I love the way the outdoor light shines from the centre into the internal corridors round the edge. These cloisters had taken the visual experience one step further with the addition of a 'monumental and playful sculpture' by Vincent Lavaroux. This is a Belvedere, a walkway, rather like a rollercoaster, which fills the centre of the cloisters and leads up and down along a wooden staircase. I found it rather fun, Bob thought it was a waste of some very nice wood !
The presentation of the Abbey though is wonderfully done. In places it is obviously heavily restored but is always tasteful and combines the modern 21st century well into what is still at heart very much a Middle Ages beautufully designed and constructed set of buildings.
We had a quick stop for a coffee and accidentally got small, very black variety accompanied by some rather expensive little madeleines. We had observed that the presentation of the Abbey is perhaps a little over the top, in places, artistically and this was carried through even in the way our cakes and coffee were arranged on little china trays.
As well as a tourist attraction the buildings of the Abbey are used as hotel, restaurant, conference centre and development and restoration of other buildings is very much ongoing. All in all an absolutely superb presentation and well worth every Euro cent of €9 entrance fee.
We had a walk round the rest of the town after leaving the Abbey and visited the chapel which was built for the workers who built the abbey and then decided to stay in the town.
Back then on the scooter and down the hill to the Loire and then a walk round the pretty town of Montsoreau. This has a chateau which built almost to the river bank but facing South, away from the river. The main street climbs up behind it and is lined on either side with very attractive buildings, some of which are built up a steep incline, like so many houses in this area, and backed right into the rock behind. Altogether very pretty scenes and lots of flowers to delight the eye.
Back along the Loire, the way we came but we stopped to visit Turquant a fascinating little town. Its modern area is filled with little wine caves as the caves left in the rock after the extraction of the limestone tuffeau for building makes an ideal place for storing wine (and also growing mushrooms). The caves are quite literally that, built into the rock with facias, doors and windows added to the front.
We found an older street which was being used as artist’s studios and went into one to find it went several yards into a big rocky cavern.
Back at the campsite just time for a swim before dinner and before we decide where to visit tomorrow. Chinon looks good but may be a little to far to go on the scooter.

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Comments

[Terr Vallence]

Kings Wife
One of the Queens lying there is Isabella d'Angeloume and her husband is not there,he is buried in England,lying alongside her is King Richard 1st ( The Lionheart) , her brother in law, Isabella's husband was King John,(The King that reluctantly signed the Magna Carta,) Isabella was my Grandma( many generations ago!) Just a small insight to your description of their resting places,I am going over to see her remains in October, PS, more trivia for you, who was the only Queen of England never to ever set foot on English soil? King Richard 1st 's wife, Regards Terry Vallence

[BobsJoy]

Isabella and John
It just so happens that John is my 22nd Great Grandfather. That means we are very very distantly related by marirage. Joy xx