Living stones

Dressed all in white, these are the brothers of the Premonstratensian order. The order was founded by Saint Norbert in the 12th century to form communities of canons observing the Rule of Saint Augustine and devoted to the service of their contemporaries, as the Gospels dictate, in all places: parishes, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools…
The buildings that can be seen today, lovely in their harmony, date back for the most part to the 18th century, when the abbey underwent extensive rebuilding. Eustache Restout, a monk who came from a renowned family of artists, played a major role in the rebuilding and painted a number of works, including those that decorate the church cupola. This monument, with its typically “Jesuit” façade, houses a number of other renowned decorations, including the great altarpiece depicting the Assumption in the north arm of the transept.

After the persecutions of the 19th century, which forced it into exile, the monastic community returned in 1921 and undertook the renovation of the abbey. The recent restorations of the cloister, the façade of the abbey church and the abbey farm are steps in a vast project aimed at supporting a viable community that is open to the world at large.

In 2021 the Premonstratensians celebrate the 900 years of the founding of their order, on this occasion an exhibition will be presented at the abbey throughout the year on the history of the Premonstratensian order.