Abbey of Saint-Vincent du Mans

The Norman invasions and further usurpations once again brought the abbey into decline, until Avesgaud de Bellême occupied the episcopal see (995-1035) and gave it renewed impetus by building a new church and recovering its possessions and rights. At that time, the abbey maintained a large community and was able to prosper thanks to favourable economic conditions. On the other hand, in the 14th century it began to suffer from problems of observance, both within the community itself and among the many dependent houses under its control.

In the 18th century, the monastery became a major cultural centre. It possessed an important library and produced pioneering scholarly works, such as the Histoire littéraire de la France, begun in 1733 by Antoine Rivet, a monk of the monastery, and continued up to the present day. In its final years, from 1763 onward, it once again had commendatory abbots, despite the opposition of the community. In 1790, following the Revolution, the monks were forced to abandon the monastery. The site was converted into barracks and, at the beginning of the 19th century, the church and cloister were demolished. It was later used as a seminary, hospital and archive repository and, since 1954, as an educational institution; today it houses the Lycée Bellevue.