Fontfroide Abbey, Cistercian monastery in Narbonne, France
The monastery contains a vast church measuring 53 meters in length with a 20-meter-high vault supported by thick stone pillars.
Founded in 1093 as a Benedictine monastery, Fontfroide Abbey became Cistercian in 1145 and played a central role during the Albigensian Crusade.
The abbey maintains a collection of medieval manuscripts and religious artifacts, including the tiara of a former abbot who became Pope Benedict XII.
Guided tours through the monastery occur daily, allowing visitors to explore the church, cloister, chapter house, dormitory, and surrounding gardens.
The rose garden contains 2,500 rose plants of different varieties, positioned where monks were buried for centuries in the former cemetery.
Location: Narbonne
Inception: 1093
Architectural style: Romanesque architecture
Address: RD 613 Chem. de Fontfroide, 11100 Narbonne, France 11100 Narbonne
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:00
Phone: +33468451108
Website: http://fontfroide.com
GPS coordinates: 43.12763,2.89859
Latest update: May 27, 2025 11:30
The region around Carcassonne features an area marked by medieval and Cathar history, with castles, abbeys, and old villages. The Cité of Carcassonne displays its city walls restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc, while the Canal du Midi has traversed the region for 240 kilometers since the 17th century. The castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse overlook the landscape from their rocky spurs at over 700 meters above sea level, serving as the last strongholds of the Cathar resistance in the 13th century. Villages like Minerve and Lagrasse showcase medieval architecture, with narrow streets, ancient bridges, and Benedictine abbeys. The region also includes the four Lastours castles aligned along a ridge, the Saint-Maurice Cathedral in Mirepoix with its 22-meter-wide Gothic nave, and natural sites like Lake Cavayère. These monuments and landscapes form a representative ensemble of the south of France’s historical and natural heritage, accessible from Carcassonne.
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Apollo's chariot, Fontfroide Abbey
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