The royal abbey of Saint-Michel-de Bois-Aubry illustrates the transition from hermitism (Hermit Roberto in the 11th century) to cenobitism (elevated to an abbey in 1138). Mentioned by Popes Eugene III and Alexander III, it survived the Hundred Years' War and was embellished under the reigns of Louis XI and Charles VIII.
After the abbacy of Charles de Ronsard (1544), the abbey endured the Wars of Religion, the French Revolution, and modern times. In 1978, an Orthodox monastic community undertook major restoration work (nave, rood screen, bell tower) before leaving in 2006. The ashes of Yul Brynner were interred here in 1990. A private site since 2006, the abbey remains a heritage treasure.
Built from tuffeau stone, the abbey blends Romanesque (12th century) and Gothic (14th-15th century) styles, featuring notable elements such as stone spire-topped bell tower (14th century), the abbey church, rood screen, cloister (12th century), chapter house with a Roman column (3rd century).
Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.