Fontevraud Abbey: Night time encounter with Eleanor of Aquitaine. 

The Fontevraud Royal Abbey is over 900 years old. Europe's largest monastic site, Fontevraud has had many lives, reinventing itself through centuries of turmoil.
I told the story of this exceptional site in November of 2021 and filmed the grounds in the daytime. The video is linked below.
Even if the site wasn't crowded then, I promised myself I'd return to enjoy it at night, alone (I hoped.) In April 2024, I was able to do exactly this by spending a night at Fontevraud l'Ermitage, the spectacular 4-star property on the abbey grounds.
My evening at Fontevraud (and private encounter with Eleanor of Aquitaine) was all I had hoped for and more.
In this new virtual tour, I take you inside the renowned church, necropolis of the Plantagenêt dynasty as it sits completely empty on a beautiful night in April.
Follow the tour guide!
For more Fontevraud Abbey sights, my original live-streamed tour: • Abbaye de Fontevraud
NB: The "Gothic Angevin" architectural style mentioned in the video is more evident in other religious buildings in the Anjou region like the Angers cathedral. Characterized by cross-ribbed vaults and curved, domelike vaults it appeared in the second half of the 12th century. The church we visit at Abbaye de Fontevraud dates back to an earlier part of the 12th century and was built (and restored) in the Romanesque style.
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