ABBEY OF NOTRE-DAME-DE-PROTECTION
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Benedictine Abbey with remarkable sculptures and contemporary stained glass windows, welcoming women for a quiet retreat.
Today's abbey was originally built for a community of Capuchin monks. In 1789, this mendicant order fell into disuse, and the last Capuchins went into exile in Jersey. In 1810, the Benedictine nuns bought the convent, which had meanwhile become a cloth factory. The bombings of 1944 did not spare this haven of peace, with eighty-four bombs falling within the monastery walls. The reconstruction harmoniously blends the ancient and the modern, with monastic sobriety. Contemporary sculptures and stained-glass windows stand side by side with works from the great century - a 17th-century wooden altarpiece with a painting by La Hire, stained-glass windows by Léon Zack - in a vast, single-nave church, whose 1956 roof structure evokes an upturned ship's hull. When visiting the site, please respect the calm and serenity of the surroundings. The Benedictine nuns belong to the Contemplative Order. The humble, peaceful welcome is an invitation to observation and meditation. Women are also welcome here for a quiet retreat. For those who have never tried the experience and wish to recharge their batteries or simply work in peace and quiet, have no fear: your outings are of course free, and mealtimes are simply fixed and respected. Last but not least, a visit here is not complete without a visit to the store, as the Benedictine nuns of Valognais make their own fruit jellies, as well as offering a wide range of other products.
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Dommage que l'on ne puisse visiter l'église !