Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Noyers, built in the 11th century on the territory of Nouâtre (Indre-et-Loire), was one of the most important monasteries of Basse-Touraine and Châtelleraudais. A major religious, moral and agricultural centre, it attracted personalities such as the legates of the pope or Henry IV, who stayed there in 1587. His considerable revenues reflected his regional importance, mixing spiritual and temporal power.

The abbey church, built around 1032 with local stones, was enlarged and restored several times. Its architecture blended Romanesque styles (abside of the 11th century), Gothic (nave and 12th century chapels), and Renaissance (jube added in 1542-1544 by Abbé François de Mauny). A bell tower replaced a 12th century narthex, while the claustral buildings, destroyed during the Revolution, were rebuilt in 1760. Only today remain the monumental gate to the arms of France, the former refectory, and the abbatial dwelling.

Ravaged by Protestants in 1562, the abbey was abolished in 1791. His fortified church was razed, and his buildings sold as national goods. The protected remains include the capitular hall (classified in 1964), the porch, and the southern façade of the convent building (registered in 1971). These elements recall its royal past, founded by Robert the Pious, and its central role in the monastic tourangelle history.

The trading abbots marked his history, such as François de Mauny (1542), rebuilder of the abbey and the jube, or Bishop Urbain-René de Hercé (1761-1790), last bishop-count of Dol-de-Bretagne before the Revolution. The medieval archives and charters, studied by historians such as Abbé Casimir Chevalier, bear witness to its influence in the 11th and 12th centuries.

External links