Fontevraud Abbey - A lesson in History

There really is nothing like being surrounded by centuries upon centuries of history to make a girl feel dumb. After every chateau visit or stroll through some new town, what I should be doing is rushing to my computer to conduct research into the significance of the onslaught of information indicating such-and-such happened or so-and-so was here. Instead, I tend to collapse in a heap, exhausted from the brutal trudging in high-heeled boots over cobblestone paths. (Hey, I'm in France and trying to blend in with the locals. The sneakers stay home, apparently so does the brain.)

The dim recognition of famous names during our recent trip to Fontevraud Abbey forced me to get educated. Lucky for you, I'm going to tell you all about what I've learned. Or you could just skip to the photos and experience France the way I typically do: "Who's that?"
"I dunno. But he musta been important."
"Why's that like that?"
"I dunno. But it's pretty cool, huh?"
"Were these the good guys or the bad guys?"
"Well, I guess that depends." And on goes the vague dialogue between me and my family members.

Fontevraud Abbey as seen from the central courtyard.

The interior of the chapel and naive. The tombs below are located at the foot of the naive.

A *Brief* History of Fontevraud Abbey:
 A religious order was begun here in 1100 consisting of both nuns and monks (how was that successful, I wonder?). It remained as such until the French Revolution (in the late 1780's), when all monasteries and abbeys were shut down by order of the government. In 1806 it was converted into a prison which was finally closed in 1963. It is now property of the state and functions as a museum and cultural center as it undergoes major restoration construction.
 

The Cloister

The main entryway into the room used by the nuns for their governing sessions.

 

  The walls of the governing room were covered in elaborate paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ. They were all very beautiful and featured portraits of the nuns of the abbey from the 1500's, when the paintings were done. But this one, depicting the ascension of Christ had my mom, dad and me all in a fit of giggles. It looks like something straight out of Monty Python, does it not? "There he gooooooooes."


A Couple Key Historical Figures Associated with the Abbey:

The Tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine. The book she holds is the Bible.

Eleanor of Aquitaine - She lived from 1122 to 1204. She was extremely wealthy and powerful and had a huge impact on the history of France and England. She was married twice - first to King Louis XII of France, then to Henry Plantagenet who later became King of England. She was mother to three successive kings of England. With her first husband she participated in the Crusades. After attempting to overthrow her second husband so as to place one of her sons on the throne, she was imprisoned for 16 years. Once Henry died, his successor, Richard the Lionheart, set his mom free so she could assist him in ruling the kingdom while he went to war. After his death, she went on to become a nun at Fontevraud. Upon her death in 1204, she was entombed at Fontevraud next to her husband, Henry and son, Richard. Based on what I've read about her thus far, I think she would be a great character to study further if for no other reason than the rarity of such powerful females from this historical era.

The Tomb of Richard the Lionheart

Richard the Lionheart - 1157-1199 - He was the 3rd son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was a key military leader in the Crusades. Although his name suggests a brave, courageous man, my research suggested he was not a good king. He is most famous for his appearance in the fictional tales of Robin Hood. True to these tales, he was an altogether absent king of England and it was actually his mother who served as leader in his stead. He fought many wars and was known as an incredibly brave soldier, but horrible son (probably due to his attempt to overthrow his dad), horrible father (most likely because he only fathered one illegitimate son who never lived with him), and horrible husband (there is question as to his -ahem- preferential treatment of men). Parts of him are buried next to his mother at Fontevraud Abbey. (His heart and entrails are in Rouen and Chalus.)