Abbaye d'Abondance, Gothic abbey in Abondance, France

Abbaye d'Abondance is a monastic complex built with Gothic features such as pointed arches and stone walls, arranged around a cloister with seven radiating chapels. The religious site integrates a church, residential spaces, and exhibition rooms that document the history of this medieval community.

The monastery was founded in 1108 when monks from Saint-Maurice-d'Agaune settled here. Between 1138 and 1144 it rose from the status of a priory to that of a full monastery.

The cloister keeps sixteen of an original twenty-five frescoes, painted around 1430 by an artist close to Giacomo Jaquerio. Besides scenes from Mary's life, they show peasants, shepherds, a hunter, a boatman, washerwomen and a cheese seller, and the House of Savoy's arms appear beneath each scene.

Visitors can book guided tours through the church, cloister, and exhibitions about the sacred history of the Abondance Valley. It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes since the complex includes several areas to explore.

The 14th-century cloister keeps only its south and east galleries, and its pointed-arch windows have lost much of their tracery. Sixteen of the original twenty-five murals survive, painted around 1430 by an artist close to Giacomo Jaquerio. The figure in eastern dress at the Wedding at Cana is sometimes identified as Amadeus VIII of Savoy.