Fontainejean Abbey

Fontainejean Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Saint-Maurice-sur-Aveyron with remains featuring Romanesque and Gothic elements including stone columns and a carved limestone portal. The site shows how two building styles combined across different construction periods over several centuries.

The abbey was founded in 1124 and gained royal status in 1148, increasing its regional importance. It was later destroyed during the Hundred Years War, a fate that affected many religious sites of that period.

The name comes from the springs that monks used to manage water, shaping daily monastic life here. Today you can still see traces of old channels and water systems that reveal how the community organized its surroundings.

The ruins are located roughly 3 kilometers east of Saint-Maurice-sur-Aveyron and accessible from departmental road 56. It is best to visit on a dry day since uneven ground becomes slippery in wet conditions.

The site served as a burial ground for Courtenay princes and housed monuments including the mausoleum of Jacques II and Jean II. These royal graves show the close bond between this monastery and regional rulers of that era.