Fontainejean Abbey

After the founder's death, he was buried in the monastery, which became the burial place of his lineage. In 1148, Guillaume, the founder's son, died in the Holy Land and was also buried there. In 1147, Abbot Stephen obtained a papal bull from Pope Eugene III placing the new abbey under papal protection and, in 1163, another bull issued by Pope Alexander III confirmed these privileges. In 1150, the lordship of Courtenay passed to Peter (c. 1126-c. 1183), son of King Louis VI the Fat, who had married Élisabeth, the founder's granddaughter; for this reason, Fontainejean came to be regarded as a royal abbey. Over time it accumulated considerable property and a number of privileges, including judicial rights.

During the second half of the thirteenth century, the monastery entered a period of decline and a certain relaxation of monastic discipline. It was also severely affected by the Hundred Years' War. In the mid-fourteenth century, Fontainejean's estates and the abbey itself suffered heavily from the conflict: the monastery was abandoned and sustained major losses. The same situation recurred during the first half of the fifteenth century. In 1549, while reconstruction was underway, the abbey was placed under the commendatory system and, shortly afterwards, was affected by the French Wars of Religion. In 1561, the abbot embraced Calvinist ideas and, the following year, Fontainejean was attacked, leaving it in ruins and forcing the community to take refuge elsewhere.