Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes, France

The Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies' Abbey') was the first Benedictine nunnery in Saintes. The abbey was founded in 1047 by Geoffrey II, Count of Anjou, and his wife Agnes. Agnes later retired to the nunnery and died there.

One of its abbesses was Agnès of Barbezieux (1134–1174), whose relative, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a generous donor to the abbey. The abbey church, Sainte-Marie-des-Dames, dates from the 12th century.

References:

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User Reviews

Andrew Holt (9 months ago)
Don't normally like audio guides on self guided tours, this one's included in entry price & is essential to access the most interesting areas, also helps that the guides funny & informative.

Vrushali Patil (13 months ago)
Lovely wedding place however they are limited on bathroom spaces and cpuld benefit from better signage.

angela lambert (2 years ago)
Very pretty in a small place stranded in for half an hour on way to to Bordeaux.

Rose Youtube (2 years ago)
Make sure if you get an audio it is clearly explained. My audio battery ran out shortly after starting the tour. Being on a tight timeframe, I couldn't catch my wife and returned the audio and waited for my wife to finish the tour. Disappointingly, they were unwilling to provide a refund.

Luca Lategan (3 years ago)
Worth a visit to see the ancient sculptures and architecture that has been well and) preserved!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

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Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

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