Some of the most outstanding examples of Romanesque architecture in the Loire Valley can be found at the Abbaye Fontevraud. Founded in 1101 by Robert d'Arbrissel, it is the burial place of King Henry II Plantegenet, his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his son, Richard Couer de Lion.

Located between Chinon and Saumur, Fontevraud flourished during the Renaissance, and was at one time one of the richest and most important Abbayes in France. Following the Revolution, the abbey became a prison, and remained so until 1962. At that point it was declared a historic monument, and has undergone a long period of restoration. In 2001 it marked its 900 th anniversary.

For more information on the Abbaye, visit their official site: http://www.abbaye-fontevraud.com/index.php?id=1