Bon-Repos Abbey

Saint-Gelven, France

The Bon-Repos Abbey was founded by Viscount Alain III de Rohan in c. 1184. According to legend, he was asked to build it by the Virgin Mary; she appeared to him in a dream when he fell asleep on this spot after a hard day’s hunting in the Quénécan Forest. After a tumultuous history, which included being burnt down by the Chouans (Royalists) in 1795, the abbey fell into ruin until it was rescued in 1986 by the local community who founded the Association of Friends of Bon Repos Abbey. Thanks to the association, part of the abbey has been restored although the main body is an empty shell. Nowadays the abbey is devoted to nurturing contemporary art by having artists in residence and holding regular exhibitions.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

D44, Saint-Gelven, France
See all sites in Saint-Gelven

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)

More Information

www.brittanytourism.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Martyn Smith (5 years ago)
Beautiful walks in stunning setting
D Henrich (5 years ago)
Interesting scenery of an old 13th century gate and a square ruin of the 17th century, which used to be a cistercensian abbaye before. Without corona-pandemic, there is a big summer light-show in front of the monasterie's ruins surrounded by lush woods.
Chris Dunn (5 years ago)
It's a building site at the moment.
Ann On-Holiday (5 years ago)
A small but lively artisan market there on a Sunday. Plus a bar overlooking the lake & another bar further down. The Abbey and woods and lake are very nice indeed. Better in the sunshine!
Paula Turner (7 years ago)
Fab show we really enjoyed it and not expensive
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

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.