Abbaye aux Dames Saintes
Abbaye aux Dames Saintes - Discover this magnificent place in Charente Maritime
Ladies' Abbey in Saintes is an ancient abbey located Saintesin Charente Maritimeon the right bank of the Charente, not far from the Arc de Germanicus and the tourist office.
What is an abbey?
An abbey - from the Latin "abbatia" - is a Catholic monastery run by an abbot or abbess, with monks or nuns. Source: Wikipedia.
According to LarousseAn abbey is a building housing a community of monks or nuns governed by an abbot or abbess.
Abbaye aux dames Saintes: Practical info
How to get to the abbaye aux dames in Saintes?
It's easy to get to the abbey from downtown Saintes, either on foot or by bus, or even by bike or car, via rue Gautier, rue Sainte Claire and rue Pont-Amilion.
Where can I park to visit the Ladies' Abbey?
L'abbaye aux dames has a free parking lot, accessible via rue Geoffroy Martel.
Can we visit the Ladies' Abbey?
Yes, you can visit the Ladies' Abbey. It's possible to visit the park and surrounding buildings free of charge at any time. It is also possible to buy a ticket for a guided tour (audioguide) from 9 euros (in 2022).
What are the opening hours of the abbaye aux Dames?
The abbey's opening hours vary from season to season. Here are the opening times on the abbaye aux dames official website:
October to March: Monday to Saturday 14h-18h
April to June: Monday to Sunday 10h-12h30 14h-19h
July to September: Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Abbaye aux dames in Saintes and music
The abbey's musical city
Saintes Ladies' Abbey is today known for its conservatory, and more broadly for the 'musical' city - which organizes numerous cultural and musical events - and which occupies part of the buildings.
The Saintes Festival
Cultural events include Saintes FestivalThis festival, which takes place at the abbey every year in July, was created in 1972, when the abbey was being rebuilt. The festival offers spectators the chance to discover original music, as well as "lectures, tastings, public rehearsals, singing and choir training courses, etc."...
The abbey's great choir
Users of the abbey's premises include the great choir of the Saintes Ladies' Abbeyassociation loi 1901, whose purpose is "the practice and development of amateur choral singing in works from the classical or modern repertoire, and the production of live performances".
The abbey's young orchestra
At the heart of the abbey has also grown the abbey's young orchestra -JOA-.. It was developed in the 1990s, with the support of the Orchestre des Champs Élysées and Philippe Herreweghe. The aim is to create 'a professional international training program, unique in Europe, for the interpretation of the classical and romantic repertoires'.
The musical merry-go-round at the abbaye aux dames
More recently, as part of 'Musicaventure', the musical carousel was created in the heart of the abbey, on the forecourt next to the gallery-shop. The aim of this original creation is to raise awareness of music, in an "extraordinary merry-go-round".
Saintes Ladies' Abbey - to discover
The role of cultural awareness and openness
L'abbaye aux dames is a place dedicated to musical and cultural training, awareness and openness. The website features an educational platform for teachers and educators. It offers a wide range of educational resources, including fact sheets on the life of nuns in the 12th century and the Romanesque bestiary. There are also worksheets for classroom use. The platform also features an image bank for educational purposes.
The abbey church
One of the most striking buildings is the abbey church of Ste Marie, a typical example of Romanesque architecture in Saintonge. The bell tower has a characteristic pine cone shape, reminiscent of the bell tower of Notre Dame La Grande church in Poitiers. It is covered in stone tiles, certainly inspired by ancient funerary monuments.
Convent buildings
Convent buildingsThey date back to the 17th century, not the 11th. They were designed in a more classical architectural style. They welcome individuals or companies for seminars or receptions in 6 rooms for hire, accommodating up to 300 people.
Other remarkable features of the abbey
Basilica of Bishop Pallais
Close to the Abbaye aux Dames is the former funerary basilica of Bishop Pallais. Today, the Saint Pallais church. Saint Pallais de Saintes was a Catholic saint who died after 596 (596-600) and is celebrated on September 6.
The Abbey Hotel
The Abbaye aux Dames now includes a hotel, located within the buildings. It is possible to sleep in the former nuns' cells, accessible via a magnificent stone staircase and vaulted corridor. This allows you to take full advantage of this exceptional setting. The hotel has 33 rooms.
The Marguerite Room
The Marguerite Room is located within the Ladies' Abbey. This 17th-century vaulted hall has been completely renovated. It is now accessible to the disabled.
The nuns' garden
The nuns' garden is located behind the convent buildings and the abbey church. This garden recreates a medicinal plant garden cultivated by the nuns for the benefit of the sick and pilgrims.
What to do near Saintes Ladies' Abbey?
Location and surroundings
The Abbaye aux Dames is ideally located on the right bank of the Charente, in the town of Saintes. It's not far from the Arc de Germanicus, the tourist office and the archaeological museum.
It takes just a few minutes to get to the left bank of the Charente and visit the Basilica of St Eutrope or the Gallo-Roman amphitheatre.
History of the Ladies' Abbey
When was the Ladies' Abbey founded?
According to Wikipedia, Saintes Abbey was founded in 1047 by Agnès de Bourgogne and her husband Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou. It was a Benedictine abbey for women, run by abbesses, and mainly welcomed young girls from noble families - nuns. Up to 100 nuns lived here, and at least 30 abbesses succeeded one another.
In the 17th century, it was one of the largest abbeys in France, after Fontevraud Abbey. During the French Revolution, the buildings were used as a hospital, a prison and, from 1808, as barracks.
Contemporary history of the abbey
In 1924, the town of Saintes bought the church and carried out renovation work. In 1972, the Abbey Festival was created to raise funds for the upkeep and renovation of the buildings. They were inaugurated in 1988 in the presence of French President François Mitterrand.
Sainte Marie church in the early 20th century
This church," says Hubert Morand, in an interesting article published in Le Figaro, "was once that of the nuns of Saintes, founded in 1047 by Geoofroy Martel, Count of Anjou, and Agnès de Bourgogne, his wife. The abbey received numerous privileges from popes, bishops and kings, and for seven centuries was governed by abbesses belonging to the noblest families in France. Abolished in 1792, it was later used as a refuge for the surviving priests of Ile de Madame. It was later converted into barracks and its church became a stable. After the war of 1870, the church underwent further alterations by the military engineers; the floor was raised by one meter, a floor was added to the apse, and windows were added; the ground floor was used as a general store, and the second floor as a dormitory.
This remained the case until 1914. But after the Great War, when the 6th infantry regiment, which occupied the buildings, was disbanded, the church of Sainte-Marie-aux-Dames was detached from the other abbey buildings and handed over to the town to be restored and returned to worship. Since neither the fine arts budget nor local resources could provide the necessary funds for this restoration, a committee, chaired by Countess Joseph de Brémond d'Ars, with Count Espierre as President and Canon Pitard as Treasurer, appealed to the public's generosity.
Extract from the appeal to the people of Charente, January 16, 1932
Description of the Sainte Marie church portal
"Four voussoirs for the central door, only one for the blind side bays. The openings made in the latter today have not affected their integrity, except that they have removed the frieze from the lintel, which was intended to continue that of the capitals. Apart from that, the whole is intact and the marmoreal patina is almost as precious, albeit in a different shade, as that of Civray. So, once you've entered into the spirit of this stone embroidery, once you've taken up residence there, as it were, following the artist's incredible fantasy through the labyrinths it describes, a joyful hymn will rise from your heart!"
Excerpt from Voyage au pays des sculpteurs romans, Alexis Forel
Rediscover the town of Saintes
Saintes is a pretty inland town, crossed by the river Charente, and remarkable for its archaeological sites dating back to Roman times.
You can discover the town's monuments: the Ladies' Abbey, the amphitheatre, the Arch of Germanicus. You can also enjoy the pedestrianized town center, with its mix of stores, bars and restaurants.
From Saintes, it's easy to visit the nearby town of Cognac and its vineyards. The beaches of the Côte Sauvage and the Côte de Beauté are also not far away.
From Saintes, it's also easy to get to Ile d'Oléron, Rochefort or Royan. The town center is just a few minutes from the A10 freeway, making La Rochelle less than an hour away.
St Eutrope district: choose this district to visit the Roman amphitheater and St Eutrope basilica. Just a few minutes from the historic center.
Quartier St Pierre (historic center): ideal for exploring Saintes and enjoying the lively pedestrian streets and architecture.
Quartier Saint Pallais: On the left bank of the Charente river, this district is home to the Germanicus Arch, the museum and the Abbaye aux Dames.
Quartier St Vivien: This historic district of Saintes includes the courthouse and St Vivien church. Very close to the historic center, it's a great place to visit Saintes on foot.
The Arch of Germanicus
The Arc de Germanicus in Saintes is an ancient Roman arch located in the town of Saintes, on the banks of the Charente, near the town's historic center and the Abbey aux Dames.
The Roman amphitheatre
The Saintes amphitheater, or Arènes de Saintes, is a Gallo-Roman amphitheater built in the 1st century AD, between the reigns of Tiberius and Claudius.
