Saint-Martin Abbey is located in the town of Sées, in Orne, 20 km northeast of Alençon.
It was founded in the 6th century by Benedictine monks already established in the region, within the abbey of Saint-Evroult.
Viking invasions and raids destroyed this first monastery. It was not until the 11th century that the abbey of Sées was rebuilt, in a Romanesque style, and it reached its peak in the 13th century, notably when Saint-Louis stayed there in 1256 and, through his donations, expanded the land domain of the monks..
However, a troubled period then began: while the English had taken refuge there, Du Guesclin seized the abbey, not without causing some damage. And during the Wars of Religion, first looted by the troops of Admiral Coligny, it was then set on fire by Gabriel de Montgommery: the convent, the nave and the bell tower were destroyed.
But once again, the abbey of Sées rose again, all the more so when the Maurist monks took over its management from 1636. For several decades, they worked hard to rebuild the site, drawing inspiration from the plans of the Abbaye aux Hommes de Caen. Apart from a few rare Romanesque remains, they erected a new church in a neo-Renaissance style. Around a main courtyard which is accessed via a gate framed by two pavilions, are built the dwelling of the abbot connected to the church and, at right angles, a building 100 meters long whose ground floor floor consists of the cloister, closed and vaulted, resting on 17 granite columns.
In addition, outside, a park of lime trees and orchards and gardens adjoin the imposing new monastery in neo-classical style.
However, the abbey which was one of the most prosperous in the kingdom (it received tithes from 40 parishes and had the rank of barony) did not survive the Revolution, on a religious level.
It then housed a spinning mill belonging to Richard-Lenoir which employed several hundred workers and then, in 1835, a seminary was set up there.
In the 20th century, once owned by the municipality, the site was bought by a social security organization and housed a preventorium and then a specialized institute for children.
Listed in the Inventory, the former abbey remains private property, having been sold in 2017.
Its imposing exteriors can mark out a walk or even a guided tour of the locality, labeled "Small city of character". Information on +33 2 33 28 74 79.
