Abbeys, Monasteries and Priories in the Sarthe

Prieuré
72510 Château-l'Hermitage

The Priory of Château-l'Hermitage, founded in the 12th century in Château-l'Hermitage (Sarthe), is a former Augustin Priory listed as a historical monument, marked by a Gothic Prioral Church and a partially preserved cloister.

Abbaye
72000 Le Mans

Saint-Pierre de la Couture Abbey, an 18th-century Benedictine Abbey located in Le Mans in Sarthe, is now partially preserved with its abbey church and cloister, integrated into the prefecture.

Abbaye
72000 Le Mans

The former Saint Vincent Abbey, founded in the 6th century in Le Mans, is a medieval Benedictine monument transformed into Bellevue High School. Its 15th, 17th and 18th century buildings combine Maurist architecture and Romanesque heritage, classified as Historic Monuments in the Maillets district.

Monastère
72200 La Flèche

The monastery of the Visitation of La Flèche, founded in the middle of the seventeenth century in the Sarthe, is a former visiting convent maintaining its original claustral buildings (1651) and a remarkable carved wooden staircase, protected as Historic Monument since 1985.

Eglise gothique
72170 Vivoin

The priory of Saint-Hippolyte de Vivoin, a former monastery of the 11th–12th centuries in Sarthe, combines Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Its classified prioral church and medieval cellar make it a major historical site of the Pays de la Loire.

Abbaye
72600 Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois

The abbey of Perseigne, a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1145, is located in Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois in the Sarthe. Its ruins, inscribed in historical monuments, bear witness to a rich medieval past in the heart of the forest of Perseigne.

Eglise romane
72540 Chemiré-en-Charnie

The Abbey of Etival-en-Charnie, founded in 1109 in Chemiré-en-Charnie (Land of the Loire), is a 12th century Benedictine monastery, partially preserved despite its revolutionary destruction. It was a major religious and cultural centre in Maine.

Abbaye
72140 Rouez

The Abbey of Champagne, a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1188, is located in Rouez en Sarthe. Transformed after the Revolution, it preserves remains classified as historical monuments, witness to its rich medieval and religious past.