Abbaye Sainte-Marie aux Dames

The Cistercian monastery at Villiers-Canivet was founded in 1127. The abbey buildings suffered badly in the French Revolution and have been under restoration since 1976. They are now in a state where you can get a sense of what the abbey was once like.

The remains of the 18th century cloisters, and those of the 16th century, have been preserved. The large defensive gateway built in the 13century and much changed since, has now been put back as close to its original form as possible.

Although much work remains to be done, particularly on the abbey church, the walls have been restored and the whole remarkable set of buildings are set in a beautiful park with a large lake, giving a sense of how tranquil a setting the monks had in which to spend their life of prayer.