Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey aux Dames, founded in 1047 by Geoffroy Martel, Count of Anjou, and his wife Agnes of Burgundy, is a Benedictine female monastery established near the funeral basilica of Bishop Pavlais, on the right bank of the Charente. Placed under the protection of the pope, it became one of the most influential abbeys in the South-West thanks to royal gifts and privileges such as that of beating money. Its peak in the 12th century coincides with the patronage of Alienor d'Aquitaine, a relative of the Abbess Agnes de Barbezieux, who finances the reconstruction of the abbey church.

The Sainte-Marie church, masterpiece of the Saintongeese novel, is distinguished by its carved facade and its "pine apple" bell tower, inspired by ancient monuments. The nave, initially three vessels, was transformed into a single vessel covered with domes in the 12th century. The Wars of Religion (1568) and two fires (1608, 1648) seriously damaged the monastery, but the abbess Françoise de Foix undertook a major reconstruction in the seventeenth century, giving the convent buildings their current classical appearance.

The French Revolution ended monastic life in 1792: the abbey became a prison, then a barracks under Napoleon I. Repurchased by the city in 1924, the church was restored and restored to worship in 1939. Ranked a historic monument since 1846, it is today the heart of the "musical city" of Saintes, hosting the Festival of Saintes and a cultural centre. The excavations of 1986 revealed the remains of the medieval cloister, while the convent buildings now house a music school and spaces dedicated to artistic creation.

Among the 30 abbesses that succeeded each other from 1047 to 1792, several marked the history of the place, such as Agnes de Rochechouart, who placed the abbey under French protection in 1320 despite the English demands, or Françoise de La Rochefoucauld, who saved part of the buildings during the Wars of Religion. The last abbess, Marie-Madeleine de Beaudéan de Parabère, died in 1792 when the monastery closed. The abbey, symbol of the spiritual and temporal power of noble women, also illustrates the political tensions between France and England in Aquitaine.

The site, which was listed as a historical monument in 1948, combines architectural heritage and cultural outreach. The western facade, although mutilated, retains remarkable sculptures (olders of Revelation, angels, symbols of the evangelists), while the bell tower, without bells since the Revolution, remains an emblem of the city. The convent buildings, restored in the 1980s, now house artist residences and concert halls, perpetuating the educational and artistic vocation of the abbey.

External links