Notre-Dame de Montebourg Abbey is located in the town of Montebourg, in the Manche department, 28 km south-east of Cherbourg.
This is a monastery that was probably founded by William the Conqueror after 1066.
After his death, his heirs entrusted Richard de Reviers, an important lord of the region, with the patronage of the abbey which quickly experiences great prosperity. Thanks to donations from Anglo-Norman kings such as Henri II of Plantagenêt and the bishops of Rouen, the Benedictine monks soon became the head of vast land domains and several priories dependent on Montebourg were founded.
The prosperity and power of the abbey, which was halted for a time during the Wars of Religion (the Huguenots having invaded the city and looted the abbey in 1562), are further consequential in the 17th and 18th centuries. The religious are also sensitive to the needs of the local population, founding a school then a hospital and even a retirement home for elderly priests. At the same time, they initiate the establishment of textile units (production of linen fabrics and lace).
Sold during the Revolution, the abbey was destroyed, including the 12th century church. Only the baptismal font and the tombstone of Richard de Reviers were saved.
However, from the mid-nineteenth century, it was bought and the site experienced a second life. The abbey church is rebuilt in a neo-Romanesque style typical of Normandy. Then buildings were also erected nearby which now house a private agricultural college and high school. Holiday camps are hosted there in summer.
The site of the former abbey, listed in the Inventory, is freely accessible (guided tour possible). Information on +33 2 33 41 10 05.
