Louroux Abbey is located in the commune of Vernantes, in the department of Maine-et-Loire, 20 km northeast of Saumur.
It was founded in 1121 by the wife of Foulques V of Anjou, in gratitude for his return from Palestine.
Located in the northwest of the town, between two arms of the Lathan, the monastery which adopted the Cistercian rule quickly proved prosperous. It has several secondary establishments, notably in Brittany, and accommodates up to 300 monks.
However, the Hundred Years' War will severely affect the abbey. It was pillaged by mercenaries who made it their fortress in 1357 and it was only in 1370 that the site was liberated by Du Guesclin, which allowed the monks to regain possession of the place.
After the departure of the English, a new chapel was built, representative of the Angevin Gothic style and equipped with frescoes. But as the danger persists, the abbey is fortified.
When peace returned, King René granted donations as evidenced by a magnificent stained glass window, known as Vernantes, transferred in 1901 to the Saint-Jean museum in Angers.
The commendation regime with the appointment of abbots more sensitive to financial income than to the spiritual vitality of the abbey begins a slow but inexorable decline.
And during the Revolution, the monks were chased out. What remained of the monastery was even partly destroyed in 1852 and was used as a quarry.
Since then, all that remains of the abbey with its rich past are archaeological remains integrated in the 19th century in a landscaped park composed around a newly built castle. Near the main entrance to the estate, however, the Chapelle des Hôtes retains early 15th-century features, as well as wall paintings.
Private property is not accessible to the public even if part of the remains listed in the Inventory are visible. Information on +33 2 41 51 50 12.
