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Origin and history

The abbey of Fontaine-les-Blanches, founded at the beginning of the 12th century by hermits Geoffroi l'hermite and Geoffroi Bullon, initially settled in Autreche under the name Pont-de-Fontaine. Around 1125, local lords, including Renaud de Château-Renault, gave them lands and rights (hunting, wood, acorns), confirmed in 1127 by Hildebert de Lavardin, Archbishop of Tours. In 1134, the hermitage became a Benedictine abbey under the authority of Savigny, before joining the Cistercian order in 1147, then adopting the white habit.

The abbey thrives thanks to extensive donations and land properties, including farmhouses, mills and woods. In the 13th century, she already had rights of justice and an abbey dedicated to Notre-Dame, with three chapels (Saint-Hubert, Sainte-Madeleine, Saint-Michel). The monks welcomed graves of personalities, such as Mathilde de Vendôme or Barthélemy II, Archbishop of Tours. Revenues also come from rents, such as that of Isabelle de Blois in 1240 (harengs and oil converted into 30 sous).

The French Revolution marked a dramatic turning point: the abbey was sold as a national property in 1792 to Guillaume Dubaut for 19,200 pounds, then partially demolished. Its 15th century stalls, statues and bells are scattered in neighbouring churches (Noizay, Pocé-sur-Cisse, Limeray). Today, it remains the north gate (XVIth century), the abbey house (XVIIth century, with a 13th century room), a pavilion on dungeons, and remains of the cloister. Ranked a historic monument in 1949, it illustrates the Cistercian heritage of Touraine.

The abbey initially depended on Savigny, before its attachment to Cîteaux in 1147. His name, Fontaine-les-Blanches, would come from the white colour of Cistercian clothes, replacing Benedictine grey dresses. Among his 48 abbots (1134–90), some came from the beginning of 1534. The archives also mention internal conflicts during its foundation, between hermits wishing to remain independent and those opting for a structured monastic rule.

Subsequent excavations and studies (notably by Carré de Busserolle in 1880 or Franck Tournadre in 2000) reveal its regional importance: with 465 hectares of land before the Revolution, it was the second largest landowner after the estates of Amboise. Its remains, today on private property, recall its spiritual, economic and architectural role in Touraine.

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