Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher
AbbeyHidden Treasure
Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher, located in Selles-sur-Cher (Loir-et-Cher), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Abbey
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Selles-sur-Cher, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.2749, 1.5540
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098596
The former Feuillants convent in Selles-sur-Cher: a 17th-century monastic quadrilateral with sculpted rib vaults and an astonishing underground passage linking the abbey to the church of Saint-Eusice.
© Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia
History
Nestling in the town of Selles-sur-Cher, on the borders of Berry and Sologne, the former Feuillants Abbey stands as a discreet but striking testimony to French monastic architecture of the Grand Siècle. Its quadrilateral plan, characteristic of the convent complexes of the Catholic Reformation, gives the complex a serene rigour that contrasts with the exuberance of some of the monuments in the region. What makes this place truly unique is the coexistence of two seemingly contradictory architectural grammars: the sober functionality of the 17th century and the Gothic reminiscences of the interior cloister, whose rib vaults with finely sculpted pendentives seem to ignore classical fashions to perpetuate a tenacious medieval tradition in the Loire Valley. There is a major surprise in store for visitors: an underground passageway, accessible from the rear of the buildings, secretly links the abbey to the nearby church of Saint-Eusice. This underground passageway, probably a vestige of conventual practices that enabled the monks to get to church without having to face the weather or be exposed to view, gives the site an almost romantic dimension that lovers of history and architectural mysteries will appreciate. The setting of Selles-sur-Cher adds an extra charm to the visit. With the Cher River running through the town and its own medieval castle, the Abbey of Les Feuillants is an essential link in the itinerary between the vineyards and the Loire Valley. The soft light of the Loir-et-Cher region magnifies the local limestone and tuffeau stone of which these walls are made, filled with silence.
Architecture
The former Feuillants abbey takes the form of a compact, enclosed quadrilateral, a layout typical of the monastic establishments of the Catholic Reformation, which favoured a retreat into interior life and a regular layout. The exterior facades, soberly dressed in the building tradition of the Loire Valley, reflect the austerity characteristic of the reformed Cistercian spirituality of the Feuillants, heirs to a rule that rejected all superfluous ornamentation. The most remarkable architectural feature is the interior cloister, which occupied two sides of the courtyard. Its gallery, vaulted with ogives in tiers-point, is a deliberate persistence of Gothic vocabulary in a building that was also built in the heart of the classical 17th century. The sculpted pendentives adorning the cross-vaults betray the care taken by the builders to create this place for daily strolling and meditation. This juxtaposition of classical sobriety and Gothic memory is not uncommon in the provinces of the Centre-Val de Loire, where monastic building sites willingly drew on a tried and tested formal repertoire. The underground passage linking the rear of the abbey to the church of Saint-Eusice is a highly unusual technical and functional feature. Probably dug during the 17th-century reconstruction, this underground passageway bears witness to the close integration between the abbey and local parish life, or more likely to the monks' desire to preserve their enclosure while maintaining discreet access to the nearby place of public worship.
Related Figures
Jean de la Barrière — fondateur de la congrégation des Feuillants (1577), dont l'œuvre réformatrice a rendu possible l'essor des maisons comme celle de Selles-sur-CherSaint Eusice — ermite du VIe siècle fondateur de la vocation religieuse de Selles-sur-Cher, dont l'église voisine porte le nomSixte V — pape qui reconnut officiellement la congrégation des Feuillants en 1587, favorisant son expansion en FranceLes religieux Feuillants de Selles-sur-Cher — communauté dispersée à la Révolution après avoir animé le couvent pendant plus d'un siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher located?
Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher is located in Selles-sur-Cher, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher built?
Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher open to visitors?
Ancienne abbaye de Selles-sur-Cher is currently closed to visitors.