The Royaumont Abbey

 

Surrounded by streams and lying near a bird sanctuary, Royaumont Abbey was built in a protected environment developed by the monks. The remarkably well-preserved Abbey still stands surrounded by wetlands and forests. Its cloister and refectory are among the most outstanding still extant.

 

A garden inspired by medieval times opened in June 2004 When landscape architect Olivier Damée created this gardenin 2004, he designed it to showcase collections ofplants that were to be periodically renewed. The firsttheme of the exhibition was medicinal plants from thelist drawn up in the 12th century by the abbess Hildegardvon Bingen. The theme of this exhibition, whichstarts in 2007, is plants used for dying and weaving. Theyhark back to ancient techniques, but they also suggest the symbolism of colours.

 

Saint Louis, King of France, founded Royaumont in 1228 and Cistercian monks occupied it up until the Revolution. In 1791 the Abbey was transformed into a cotton mill and then in 1869 into a noviciate by nuns who undertook the first extensive restoration work. At the beginning of the 20th century the Abbey was acquired by the Goüin family, which set up the Royaumont Foundation (Fondation Goüin-Lang pour le Progrès des Sciences de l'Homme) in 1964 and made it a gift of the Abbey.

 

HISTORY OF THE MONUMENT

From the time it was founded by Saint Louis in the 13th century to the present day, the Abbey of Royaumont was never abandoned. After the French Revolution it was converted into a cotton mill and then in 1869 into a noviciate by sisters who undertook the first major restoration work. At the beginning of the 20th century the abbey was acquired by the Goüin family, which set up the Royaumont Foundation (Fondation Goüin-Lang pour le Progrès des Sciences de l'Homme) in 1964; the abbey now belongs to the Royaumont Foundation.

 

•  The Abbey of Saint Louis

 

Saint Louis founded the Abbey of Royaumont in 1228 and stayed there many times; this was Royaumont's period of greatest renown. Monks lived there up until the Revolution but the community was very quickly reduced from 120 to about 20 and then 10 monks, while the buildings were abandoned. From the 16th century Royaumont was headed by a series of commendatory abbots, many of whom took a liking to it and made it their summer residence. The last abbot, Cornut de Ballivières, built a magnificent palace but never lived there because by the time it was completed in 1989 he had fled.

 

•  After the Revolution

 

The church of Royaumont was destroyed in 1792. The new owner of the Abbey, the Marquis of Travanet, used the stones of the church to build workers' quarters in the park for the cotton mill which he installed at Royaumont. While the old architecture was mistreated for the sake of the factory, a Romantic taste for old ruins and the social life of the new occupants attracted the Paris upper-crust bourgeoisie. In the second half of the 19th century, sisters from the Sainte Famille de Bordeaux undertook to restore the soul of the Abbey. Guided by the idea of rebuilding the original Gothic architecture and working for the glory of Saint Louis, they undertook extensive restoration work.

 

• Royaumont in the 20th century

 

In the early 20th century the Abbey was acquired by the Goüin Family which set up the current cultural centre. In 1964, Henry and Isabel Goüin created the Royaumont Foundation (Fondation Goüin-Lang pour le Progrès des Sciences de l'Homme), the first private French cultural foundation.

 

THE VISIT OF THE ABBEY

 

The buildings of the Abbey are arranged around the superb Gothic cloister whose four galleries lead to separate areas for living, work and prayer; to the west, the lay brothers' building is separated from the cloister gallery by a lane; to the north lie the spectacular ruins of the church; next to them are the sacristy and the chapter room, which was destroyed and today has been converted into a library; to the south, the monks' refectory, a masterpiece of early Gothic art, and the kitchens, both magnificently restored in 2002.

 

In one of the two courtyards on the southern side of the Abbey a garden inspired by the Middle Ages was created in June 2004. The park and its canals show that the Royaumont Abbey belonged to the Cistercian Order, renowned for its hydraulic expertise. Here the monks undertook major construction work to bring water to the site, diverting and channelling two rivers. The latrine building, divided in two by a canal, can still be seen at Royaumont.

 

• The cloister

• The monks' building

• The latrine building

• The sacristy

• Church ruins

• The refectory

• The kitchens

• The lay brothers' building

• The library

THE MEDIEVAL GARDENS

When landscape architect Olivier Damée created this garden in 2004, he designed it to showcase collections of plants that were to be periodically renewed.

The first theme of the exhibition was medicinal plants from the list drawn up in the 12th century by the abbess Hildegard von Bingen. The theme of this exhibition, which starts in 2007, is plants used for dying and weaving.

They hark back to ancient techniques, but they also suggest the symbolism of colours. The structure of the garden remains unchanged. The main exhibition area is made up of nine raised beds of plantings bordered with woven chestnut and surrounded by live willow fencing.

 

The table of knowledge presents a number of potted plants, while next to them a garden of mother plants supplies the garden of nine squares as needed. Last but not least, small orchard serves as a reminder that abbeys maintained a variety of cultivated areas within their precincts.

 

However, the exhibition does not attempt to faithfully re-create a medieval garden. It demonstrates the principles according to which such gardens were designed and maintained, while adding elements of ornamentation.

 

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS

 

Royaumont Abbey is open to visitors every day, including December 25 and January 1 !

 

Royaumont Abbey

Fondation Royaumont

F- 95 270 Asnières sur Oise

tél : +33/(01) 30 35 59 00