Abbaye d'Étival-en-Charnie, Benedictine abbey in Chemiré-en-Charnie, France

Abbaye d'Étival-en-Charnie is a Benedictine monastery in Chemiré-en-Charnie featuring Romanesque architecture with rounded arches and walls of limestone and granite that create a distinctive dark appearance. The northern transept and an apsidiole are the primary structural elements that survive today.

The monastery was established in 1109 through the collaboration of Raoul VII de Beaumont and hermit Saint Alleaume. After more than 6 centuries of operation, it was dissolved in 1790.

The abbesses of Étival came from leading noble families of Maine, including the Beaumonts, Lavals and Bouillés; Godehilde, the first, was Raoul VII's sister and had been abbess of Le Ronceray in Angers. Claire Neau de Lestang, abbess from 1627 to 1660, tried to impose a stricter rule in 1636 and met resistance until a compromise was reached in 1650; Scarron mocked her in Le Roman comique. A 16th-century Pietà from the abbey is now in the church of Chemiré-en-Charnie.

Visitors can explore the northern transept and apsidiole, which form the main features of the site. The surroundings are walkable and offer good access to the surviving structures.

The monastery held usage rights in the Bouère forest, which allowed the nuns to gather wood for their daily needs. These access rights were an important resource for maintaining the community's independence.