Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville
AbbeyHidden Treasure
Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville, located in Epiniac (Département 35), 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
- Epiniac, Département 35, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5268, -1.6861
- Mérimée Reference
- PA35000021
Founded in 1137, as the spiritual daughter of Savigny and heir to Cîteaux, La Vieville Abbey has preserved its Romanesque remains from the 12th century, with their powerful sobriety, nestling in a setting of Breton greenery.
History
Hidden away in the hedged farmland of Ille-et-Vilaine, not far from Epiniac, the former abbey of La Vieville is one of those monuments that speak as much through its ruins as through its stones that are still standing. Founded in the heart of the 12th century as part of the Savigny spiritual movement, this Cistercian abbey has lived through nine centuries of history without ever quite disappearing, resisting the Revolution, abandonment and the ravages of time. What makes La Vieuville particularly striking is the coexistence of several superimposed architectural styles: the rugged Romanesque stonework of the cellar with its massive pillars sits alongside Baroque revivals from the 17th century and refined interior decor from the 18th and 19th centuries. Here, more than anywhere else, we can see how a monastic community has constantly recomposed its living environment through crises and rebirths. Attentive visitors will see traces of the vanished cloister, whose footprint still reveals the Cistercian spatial logic: sobriety, rigour, communion with nature. The abbey church, destroyed after the Revolution, remains only as an eloquent absence, bordered to the east by an ancient orchard whose trees seem to keep the memory of services alive. The west wing, the only part of the building that is actually inhabited today, has a well-preserved interior where wood panelling and fireplaces bear witness to the bourgeois comforts that the post-Revolutionary owners were able to introduce into this converted monastic space. As for the Romanesque cellar, protected by a concrete slab in place of its original vault, it remains the most moving space on the site - an open-air crypt where the stone still speaks the language of the medieval builders. The natural setting adds to the timeless atmosphere of La Vieilleville. The old orchard, the low dry stone walls and the soft light of the Dol region create a picture that photographers and history buffs alike will appreciate.
Architecture
La Vieville Abbey is a perfect example of the architectural layering typical of the great French Cistercian abbeys that survived the Revolution as private property. Its general layout still follows traditional Cistercian logic: a cloistered complex organised around a cloister that no longer exists, with a church to the south (destroyed), a central building housing the community areas, and functional wings on either side. The oldest and most remarkable feature is undoubtedly the twelfth-century Romanesque cellar, located in the east wing facing north. This vaulted room, punctuated by sturdy cylindrical pillars or soberly ornamented capitals, bears witness to the skills of the Cistercian masons trained at the schools of Cîteaux and Clairvaux. Although the original vault has been replaced by a protective concrete slab, the proportions and quality of the Breton granite rubble bond are still impressive. The facade of the central building, rebuilt in the 17th century, adopts the sober classical vocabulary dear to the reformers of the time: regular bay frames, moulded cornice, Breton pitched roof. The west wing, the only fully inhabited part of the building, retains a wealth of interior decor: painted wood panelling, fireplaces with carved mantels, antique tiles and 18th and 19th century woodwork follow one another through the rooms, creating an interior that is a hybrid between a middle-class residence and a monastery. The dominant materials are local granite, slate schist for some of the facings and flat tiles for the reworked roofs.
Related Figures
Vitalis de Savigny — fondateur de l'abbaye de Savigny dont la Vieuville est fille spirituelleSaint Bernard de Clairvaux — instigateur de l'intégration de Savigny et de ses filles à Cîteaux en 1147Serlon de Savigny — abbé de Savigny lors de la fusion avec Cîteaux, acteur clé du rattachement de la VieuvilleÉvêques de Dol-de-Bretagne — protecteurs et bienfaiteurs traditionnels des abbayes du pays de Dol au Moyen ÂgePropriétaires post-révolutionnaires — familles bourgeoises bretonnes ayant reconverti et préservé les bâtiments au XIXe siècle
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville located?
Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville is located in Epiniac, Département 35 department, Bretagne region, France.
When was Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville built?
Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville open to visitors?
Ancienne abbaye de la Vieuville is currently closed to visitors.
