Abbaye d'Hérivaux, Gothic abbey in Luzarches, France

Abbaye d'Hérivaux is a former monastery in Luzarches featuring Gothic architectural elements such as pointed arches and stone masonry typical of medieval religious structures. The site includes the preserved guest pavilion and farm buildings that once supported the monastic community and the land around it.

Ascelin, lord of Marly-la-Ville, withdrew in 1140 to the wooded valley of Herremivallis, the hermit's vale, and founded the abbey there with companions. Construction of the permanent buildings began in 1160, and the house joined the Augustinian order in 1188, the year Ascelin died. A fire damaged the monastery in 1632, and rebuilding followed in 1735 with a donation from the Duke of Bourbon-Condé. In 1790 only the prior and two monks remained, and the property was inventoried for sale in 1791.

The name Hérivaux comes from Herremivallis, the hermit's valley, after Ascelin the Hermit who settled here in 1140. The abbey held the revenues of four parishes, including Saint-Étienne de Fosses, whose church long remained a priory of Hérivaux. Its monks introduced dye plants such as woad for the cloth manufacture of the lord of Rocourt at Fosses, along with vetch and poppy.

Access to the site requires prior arrangement with local authorities, so visitors should plan ahead and contact them before arriving. The grounds are partially accessible but some structures require careful navigation, so wearing sturdy footwear is recommended.

The abbey was largely destroyed on the orders of Benjamin Constant, who bought the estate as a national asset during the Revolution. No buyer came forward for the buildings at the 1791 auction, and only one monk, Adrien Delaporte du Castellier, remained. The tall ruined wall with its pointed Gothic arch is what survives of the church.