Pleine Selve: Church, Pilgrimage Route and Wine

In Pleine Selve, church and abbey history, pilgrimage routes and winegrowing come together as tangible travel themes. The Church of Sainte-Madeleine offers an architectural highlight; the GR® 655 connects the village to the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. There are also wineries with a range of visitor experiences and the remains of an abbey. Depending on your interests, you can make the church, a hiking stage or wine the focus of your trip.

Church of Sainte-Madeleine: Architecture and History

The Church of Sainte-Madeleine was built in the 12th century. Its layout comprises a single-nave church, a transept and a flat-ended choir. The single-nave church has a main nave; the transept is arranged at right angles to it. The flat-ended choir describes the shape of the choir at the eastern end. This means you can explore the church not only in terms of its age, but also through its floor plan. By decree dated 1 December 1908, it was classified as a Monument historique. The church of the former Abbey of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine was consolidated and restored in three successive construction phases between 2009 and 2012. You can consider its construction date, protected status and restoration as distinct points of reference for the history of the site.

Pilgrimage Route and Hiking Stage

The GR® 655 is a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, known as the Via de Tours or voie de Tours. Near Pleine Selve, it enters the Gironde département in the northwest. It then follows the right bank of the Gironde estuary to Bordeaux before heading south through the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park. The village’s connection to the route is therefore specific: this is where the described section through the département begins, before continuing via Bordeaux to the south.

The first stage of the hiking trail also passes through Pleine Selve and by the restored chapel of the former Premonstratensian abbey. If you would like to explore sacred history as part of your hike, you can include the restored chapel as a point of interest along the stage. For planning, you can compare the wider route of the GR® 655 as a pilgrimage trail with the stage’s local connection to the restored chapel.

Winegrowing, Abbey Remains and Visitor Experiences

The Château l'Abbaye vineyard estate in Pleine Selve is home to the remains of an abbey founded between 1145 and 1150. The vineyards cover 21.5 hectares. Here, winegrowing and abbey history stand side by side as two tangible aspects of the same estate. The founding date places the abbey’s history in the 12th century, while the area figure gives a clear indication of the scale of winegrowing on the property.

Following prior contact, Château l'Abbaye offers a free visit to the winery and a free wine tasting. The EARL PASTUREAUD winery is located at a historic site in the commune of Pleine Selve and mainly produces red Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux. You can taste and buy wine there; check the seasonal visitor arrangements before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Laurent-Du-Bois, Les Artigues-De-Lussac, Loubens, Prignac-Et-Marcamps, Linas, Escoussans, Gradignan, Saint-Ciers-D'abzac

For the broader travel overview: Gironde.