Saintes - Abbaye aux Dames

The Abbey of Sainte-Marie-des-Dames was the first Benedictine abbey for women Charente-Maritime. It was founded in 1047 by Geoffrey II (aka "Geoffrey Martel") and his first wife Agnes of Burgundy. Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of Richard Lionheart, was a great donor here.

The place, where the abbey got erected, was a large Roman cemetery. Where the church is now, existed an Oratorium, over the tomb of Saint Pallais, already in the 6th century.

Saintes was a major halt for the pilgrims following the Via Turonensis to Santiago, so the abbey developed well, during the first centuries. During the 100 Year´s War the abbey got ruined, reconstructed later, it got severely damaged by Huguenots during the Wars of Religions.

The abbey existed up to the end of the 18th century. During the French Revolution some buildings got destroyed, the remaining ones served as prison and since 1808 as a barracks. The church was used as a stable for the horses of the cavalry.

The barracks existed still in the early 1920s. The first renovation of the complex was done from 1930 on. In 1938 the abbey church "Sainte-Marie" got consecrated again.

The facade in the typical "style saintongeais". The abbey had a number of priories in the area, so the elaborate carvings, seen here, had a very strong influence.