Abbaye Notre-Dame de Fontaine-Guérard
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Between Cistercian Silence and... Other Memories.
The song of the wind, the peaceful flow of the Andelle, the echo of silence amidst the stones... The Cistercians must have loved this valley, which nature seems to have made just for them and which was given to them in the 12th century. However, the Revolution took it away, leaving behind only some moving remains. Pass through the gate, and you will discover a church whose side chapel conserves the seal of a generous and royal donor, saint Louis. Then walk through the visiting room, the rib-vaulted chapter house, and the dormitory with its superb cradle-shaped ceiling. Wherever you look, the Norman Gothic style is there in all its marvellous perfection.
But also look at St. Michael's Chapel. This expiatory chapel was built over an underground cellar by the Lord Hacqueville after he had had his wife executed on this very spot. No, the Healing Fountain (the original meaning of Fontaine-Guérard) could do nothing to save the poor wife from the lord's murderous passion. However, a pine tree and a chestnut tree also grow here with entwined branches in memory of legendary lovers...
Everyone has their own story ; yours invites you to continue your stroll.
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