ROYAL ABBEY OF FONTEVRAUD

In the heart of the Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Park, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The final resting place of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Fontevraud houses the recumbent statue of the queen of France and then England, alongside those of Henry II Plantagenet and Richard the Lionheart. On the route to the châteaux of the Loire Valley, France's largest and most elegant medieval monastery is well worth a visit. As you explore its 13 hectares, you'll be taken on a journey through history and architecture. At first, it was a monastery - ahead of its time - at the head of which thirty-six abbesses succeeded one another for more than six centuries. The nuns were forced to leave the abbey after the French Revolution and, like many religious monuments, it was turned into a prison. Although the abbey was included on the original list of historic monuments in 1840, and by Prosper Mérimée himself (!), it remained a prison until 1963. More than 2,000 people were imprisoned here. It was considered one of the toughest prisons in France. And certainly the most poetic, nicknamed "the prison of 1,001 windows and doors" for its many arches and stained glass windows. You can opt for a must-see tour with a guided tour or audio guide. Immerse yourself in an architectural maze: from the abbey church, whose streamlined, impressively large choir marks the apogee of Romanesque art, to the recumbent figures of the kings of England, and the archaeological crypt, where the origins of the site are explained. As for the Grand-Moûtier cloister, it has retained its original dimensions and is, quite simply, one of the largest buildings of its kind in Europe. You'll also be delighted to discover the strange building known as "les cuisines romanes", whose roof, as if covered in scales, and chimneys are still puzzling historians and architects alike. Fontevraud is a city of creativity, a place where people live and meet, and a venue for artistic installations. A most magnificent and enriching visit! Good to know: Fontevraud also boasts a young museum of modern art, a 4-star hotel and a gourmet restaurant run by chef Thibault Ruggeri, Bocuse d'or, 1 Michelin star, 3 Gault & Millau toques and winner of the green star for sustainable gastronomy.