Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fontdouce
Abbaye de Fontdouce / Font-Douce / Fons Dulcis
(Saint-Bris-des-Bois, Charente-Maritime)
The chapel
The Benedictine abbey of Notre-Dame de Fontdouce was founded in 1111 by Guillaume de Conchamp (†1137), lord of Taillebourg, a locality located to the west of this site. Guillaume, who became the first abbot, joined an existing hermit settled at the place, with whom he agreed to establish the monastery. Gerald of Salles, founder of other monastic houses, may also have been involved in the initiative.
Like other foundations linked to Gerald, Fontdouce drew close to the Cistercian Order, although it was never formally integrated. The abbey contributed to the foundation of several monasteries, such as La Tenaille (Charente-Maritime), La Grainetière (Vendée), Blanche-Couronne (Loire-Atlantique), and Loudieu (Indre). Thanks to the support of local lords, the monastery was able to grow steadily. The first monastic church was erected quickly and consecrated in 1127; later, a new and much larger Gothic church was built, but it was almost completely destroyed during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century.
After that conflict, the monks returned to the abbey, but due to financial hardship, they could only partially adapt some of the buildings to their needs. Nonetheless, the monastery survived until the end of the 18th century. Following the French Revolution, the site was abandoned, sold, and passed into private hands. In the second half of the 20th century, archaeological research and restoration work began. The abbey church has largely disappeared, but a small 12th-century chapel still stands, along with the chapter house and other adjoining medieval buildings.
Chapel
Chapter house
Chapter house
Chapter house
- ANDRAULT-SCHMITT, Claude (2020). L’abbaye de Fontdouce. Charente-Maritime. Monastères en Santonge. Congrès Archéologique de France, 177e session. París: Société Française d’Archéologie
- AUBERT, R. (1971). Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques. Vol. 17. París: Letouzey et Ané
- BEAUNIER, Dom (1910). Abbayes et prieurés de l'ancienne France. Vol. 3: Auch, Bordeaux. Abbaye de Ligugé
- BOUTINET, Jean-Pierre (2011). Visiter l’abbaye de Fontdouce. Éd. du Sud Ouest
- COUSIN, Abbé (1882). Histoire de Cognac, Jarnac, Segonzac et d'un grand nombre de localités. Bordeaux: Gounouilhou
- SAINT-MAUR, Congregació de (1720). Gallia Christiana in provincias ecclesiasticas distributa. Vol. 2. París: Typographia Regia
The Abbey of Fontdouce is located to the east of Saintes