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Origin and history

The Abbey of Notre-Dame du Landais () is a former Cistercian abbey founded in 1129 by monks of the Abbey of Aumône, on an eremitic site called Fonstable since 1115. Originally located in the commune of Frédille (Indre), it also extended to Saint-Martin-de-Lamps. The abbey, consecrated in 1135, was rebuilt in the 13th century to accommodate an expanding community. Under pontifical protection as early as 1147, the abbey radiated economically (forges, mills, ponds) and intellectually, his abbot being summoned to Rome in 1227 to defend the Cistercian cause.

From the 15th century, the abbey declined under the regime of commende, losing prosperity and reputation. In 1568 Protestant troops (perhaps the lagoons of Wolfgang of Bavaria) burned down. Reduced to three monks in 1791, it was sold as a national property and demolished in 1848 to serve as a stone quarry. Today it remains only the choir of the abbey church, with its flat bedside and two side chapels, as well as remains classified as Historic Monuments in 1991 and 2004.

The abbey of Landais, daughter of the abbey of Almône and mother of the abbey of Barzelle, illustrates the rise and decline of Cistercian settlements in Berry. Its traditional plan (a vaulted nave at 17 meters, murals) and its turbulent history make it a key testimony of medieval religious heritage. Recent excavations and protections underline the archaeological importance of the site, shared between the communes of Frédille and Saint-Martin-de-Lamps.

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