Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud is situated in the western Loire Valley, one of the great destinations in France. The name refers not only to Europe’s largest medieval abbey (12th century), but also to the medieval town that surrounds it.
The Abbey’s history includes French and Norman Royalty, specifically the Plantagenets, patrons and sponsors of the abbey. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine sought refuge here after the death of her son, King Richard the Lion Heart, and became a nun at the abbey. Four of the Plantagenets’ sarcophagi rest near the altar of the Abbey’s 12th century church, a beautiful Romanesque building, including Eleanor’s and Richard’s.
You enter the chapel through this grand arched door, which has some incredibly beautiful and detailed carvings that I wanted to share with you today.
