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Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Coulombs, located in Coulombs (Eure-et-Loir), is an ancient Benedictine abbey founded before the 8th century, probably under the Carolingians. Destroyed by the Normans in the ninth century, it was restored in 1028 by Abbé Béranger, appointed by Roger I of Blois. The abbey enjoyed a period of prosperity until the 14th century, marked by conflicts with the kings of France and the bishops of Paris, as well as royal privileges, such as the high justice confirmed by Louis VII in 1160.

Over the centuries, the abbey was looted and destroyed several times, notably during the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of Religion (1562, 1567, 1588), and during the French Revolution. In 1817, his last remains were razed, and some of the materials were used to build the royal chapel of Dreux. Today, only the base of a bell tower, an 11th century porch inscribed in the Monuments (1976), and some elements preserved in the Cathedral of Chartres and the Louvre remain.

The abbey played an important political and religious role, welcoming kings like Louis VI, Louis VII, Philippe Auguste, and Louis XI. It was also linked to significant events, such as the possible death of Philippe VI de Valois in 1350 or the burial of Charlotte de France in 1475. Joined the Congregation of Saint-Maur in 1650, it declined before its final closure during the Revolution.

The cloister of the abbey, which was dismantled in 1816, was rebuilt on the site of the former abbey of Our Lady of Jehoshaphat. The current remains, although rare, bear witness to its past importance. The 11th century gate, decorated with carved capitals, remains one of the last architectural testimonies of this abbey.

The abbey was also an economic center, exploiting vineyards and producing wine, as evidenced by the royal authorizations to use the wood of the forest of Yveline. His abbots, often in conflict with local lords like the Brézé, marked regional history until its dissolution in 1791.

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