Saint-Sigismond-de-Clermont - Abbaye de la Tenaille

I had met somebody, who had told me about a "forgotten" abbey near the hamlet Saint-Sigismond-de-Clermont. I finally found the "Château de la Tenaille", that obviously once had been an abbey. It was not only locked, the grounds were fenced as well. This was "private property" - and nobody was around I could ask for permission to enter. It seemed abandoned....

I - well - could find a little hole - sneaked in - and slowly approached the buildings. The facade of the former abbey church has the design that is so typical for Romanesque churches in the Saintonge. The portal is bricked up. Opposite the church were two large barns in better conditions. They were obviously still in use until some decades ago. Here is one of the gables.

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Meanwhile I know, that this indeed was an abbey, founded in the early 12th century by Giraud de Sales, who was the founder of many convent in western France. The abbey was sold after the French Revolution. The church dates back to the 12th century, while most other buildings were completed within the 18th century.

Here is a pdf with infos:
file:///D:/_eigene_Dateien/Downloads/Abbaye%20de%20la%20Tenaille.pdf