Abbey of Saint-Vigor de Cerisy

The Saint-Vigor Abbey exhibits Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements, featuring a three-level apse with intricate window arrangements and substantial stone masonry work.

Robert I, Duke of Normandy, established the abbey in 1032 on the location of an earlier monastery that Vikings destroyed during their invasions.

The monastery served as a center of religious life in Normandy, with Benedictine monks managing forty-eight parishes and eight priories across France and England.

The monument opens for guided tours that allow visitors to explore the church, the preserved monastic buildings, and the recently restored monks' pond.

The abbey's apse construction represents an exceptional example of Norman architecture with its three distinct levels of windows, uncommon in regional religious buildings.

Location: Cerisy-la-Forêt

Inception: 1040

Founders: Robert I, Duke of Normandy

Architectural style: Romanesque architecture, Gothic architecture

Website: http://abbaye-cerisy.fr

GPS coordinates: 49.19720,-0.93250

Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:43