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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame du Tronchet Abbey, located in Tronchet in Ille-et-Vilaine, has its origins in the 12th century. Founded in 1140 by Alain, son of Jordan, Sénéchal de Dol, it was first a priory before being erected as a Benedictine abbey in 1170 under the dependence of the abbey of Tiron. The monks followed the rule of Saint-Benoît, while maintaining specific uses inspired by Tiron. The abbey, originally built near a pond in a swampy site, was a place of prayer and gathering for a religious community attracted by the virtues of a hermit named Gaultier, miraculously healed of leprosy.

Over the centuries, the abbey acquired lands, tithes and seigneurial rights through donations and exchanges, notably with local lords such as Olivier de Dinan or Gervaise de Dinan. She possessed several priories and estates, and exercised rights of high, medium and low justice. However, from the 16th century onwards, the setting began to weaken the abbey: the abbots, appointed by the civil power, no longer resided there and neglected the maintenance of the buildings. In 1607, the state of disrepair was such that only a few monks still lived there, and the convent buildings were in ruins.

A major reconstruction took place in the 17th century under the impetus of the monks of the Congregation of Saint Maur. Between 1642 and 1679, a new abbey was built on a nearby, healthier hill, with a classic abbey church, a cloister and convent buildings. The church, facing west-east, features a neo-Greek facade with Tuscan columns and a domed dome bell tower. Despite this architectural renaissance, the abbey was dissolved in 1767 because of a shortage of religious, and finally closed to the Revolution. Sold as a national property, it was partially demolished in the 19th century, but its church became parish in 1826.

Today, the remains of the abbey, classified as Historical Monuments in 1933, include the still active abbey church, the partially covered cloister, and elements of the convent buildings. The site also preserves traces of gardens, farmhouses and medieval latrines. Although most original buildings have disappeared, the abbey remains an important testimony of the Breton religious heritage, marked by its turbulent history and successive reconstructions.

The abbey was also a place of passage for literary figures, such as François-René de Chateaubriand, who described it melancholy in his Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe, evoking the desolation of fallen forests and deserted buildings. Subsequent excavations and restorations, particularly in 2003, restored part of its original appearance to the building, while preserving the most significant historical elements, such as tombstones, stalls and restored stained glass windows.

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