Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The abbey Saint-Laumer de Blois, founded in the 9th century by Benedictine monks fleeing Norman raids, first settled in the castle of Blois before settling in the suburb of Foix. In 924, King Raoul granted them the Saint Lubin church and feudal rights, allowing the construction of a first monastery. The 1114 fire destroyed the church, leading to the construction of the present abbey, the work of which began in 1138. The relics of Saint Laumer and Saint Lubin were transferred there in 1186, marking its medieval climax.

Tax-free, monks manage local taxation and finance a large monastery in the 12th century. Fortified in the 14th century to resist the Hundred Years' War, the abbey absorbs the parish of Saint-Pierre du Foix. Ravaged by the Wars of Religion in 1568, it was restored by the Reformed Benedictines of Saint Maur until the 18th century. At the Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and transformed into a hotel-God, preserving part of the buildings. Extensions were added in 1845–47 by architects Pinault and Jules de la Morandière.

The abbey then houses administrative services, such as the Territorial Department. Ranked a historic monument in 1939, 1967 and 1992, it includes facades, cloisters, and a 19th century grid. Now unoccupied, it is awaiting a project of conversion. Its architecture blends medieval remains, classical reconstructions and additions of the nineteenth century, testifying to its evolution throughout the centuries.

The abbey had a vast network of outbuildings, including 28 priories and 80 parish churches spread throughout the Loir-et-Cher and beyond. Among his notable abbots, Jacques Hurault de Cheverny (1512–146) and Charlotte de Beaune, who named intermediate abbots as a woman. Erudite monks, such as Dom Noël Mars (1612–1702), historian, and Dom Georges Viole (1598–169), writer, lived there.

Its history reflects the tensions between the abbeys of bliss (Bourg-Moyen, Pontlevoy) and its central role for the Counts of Blois and then the kings of France. The chapel of Saint-Calais du château, preserved under their jurisdiction, emphasizes their lasting influence. The current remains, although partially modified, recall its religious, economic and social importance from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

Future

It now houses the premises of the Departmental Directorate of Equipment.

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