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Origin and history

The Perray-Neuf Abbey, also known as the Premontés Abbey, was founded in 1189 by Robert IV de Sablé, lord of Sablé and master of the Temple Order. The latter, a companion of Richard Cœur de Lion during the third crusade, definitively implanted the abbey on its current site in 1209. Under the jurisdiction of the parish priest of Courtillers, it became a major religious centre in Haut-Anjou, housing up to 40 monks until the 16th century. Religious even taught at the University of Angers, enjoying specific judicial privileges.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the convent buildings were completely rebuilt, marking a period of restructuring (1675–1710). The abbey, reduced to seven monks at the Revolution, lost its church and part of its buildings. In the 19th century it was acquired by the Rousseau family, and the bishop of Puy-en-Velay Norbert-Georges-Pierre Rousseau died there in 1939. Today, only the abbey house (XIIIth century), the monumental porch, and remarkable interior decorations (lambris, fireplaces), contrast with the sobriety of the facade remain.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1983, the abbey protects its porch, the abbey house (with vestibule and decorated rooms), the well, and the bridge over the Belle Hoirie. The commons and the dovecote are registered on the same date. A first protection was already from 1926. The ensemble is a testament to the influence of the Premonstrated in Anjou and the monastic architectural evolution, from the Middle Ages to the Old Regime.

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