Abbaye de Prières, Cistercian abbey in Billiers, France

Abbaye de Prières is a former Cistercian abbey in Billiers, Morbihan, of which only vestiges remain. The surviving conventual buildings, rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, form a long pale stone range with a dark grey hipped roof, tall chimneys, rows of rectangular windows and dormers, and a central projecting bay with a triangular pediment above a white double door reached by a stone staircase with a balustrade; a lower wing with a multi-paned window extends at the left, and a lawn lies in front.

Duke Jean I of Brittany founded the abbey in 1251, with the first monks from Buzay Abbey arriving on October 31, 1252. The settlement then developed into an important religious center on the Breton coast.

The name Prières comes from the prayers and masses said at the abbey for shipwreck victims, according to Bertrand d'Argentré. The abbey also served as burial place for the dukes of Brittany: founder Jean I was interred in 1286 and Duchess Isabelle de Castille in the choir in 1328.

The location in Billiers on the coast makes it accessible by car or local transport. Today the buildings house a rehabilitation center, though the renovated chapel remains open for visitors to explore.

The abbey received special permission from Pope Alexander IV to allow noble women to enter the community. This exceptional privilege strengthened ties between the clergy and local aristocracy during the medieval period.