Les Alleuds: Benedictine Abbey and Église Notre-Dame

Les Alleuds brings together the history of a Benedictine abbey and the surviving parts of Église Notre-Dame. A short section of the Chemin de l’Abbaye hiking trail also leads to the abbey ruins. A separate excursion highlight is the underground Bataillé River, which lies in the municipality of Alloinay and has special conditions for public visits.

Benedictine Abbey: Foundation and History

The Benedictine Abbey of Les Alleuds was founded in 1120 in the hamlet of Les Alleuds by Saint Giraud de Salles. During the Hundred Years’ War, the abbey was looted and damaged several times. At least 24 abbots led it in succession. These details mark the foundation, leadership and challenges over the course of its history.

The tomb of Abbot Guillaume is in the former abbey church of Notre-Dame. Guillaume died in 1318. The dates mark different milestones: the abbey’s foundation in 1120, the abbot’s death in 1318, and the late 15th century as the period when the church was built. This makes it possible to distinguish the monastery’s history, the individual and the building chronologically.

Église Notre-Dame: Surviving Architectural Features and Tower

Only the nave and portal of the former abbey church of Notre-Dame remain. The nave is the main space of a church, while the portal is its decorated entrance. The bell tower of Église Notre-Dame has a square ground plan and is adorned on all four sides with large round-arched arcades. The ground plan and arcades describe different aspects of the tower: its shape and the design of its sides.

Église Notre-Dame dates from the late 15th century. It has been listed as a historic monument since 22 October 1926. A linden tree several centuries old stands in front of the portal; its trunk circumference is 4.2 metres. Thus, alongside the building, there is also an old tree with a clearly measurable circumference.

The Chemin de l’Abbaye

The Chemin de l’Abbaye hiking trail reaches Les Alleuds at Bois du Juge. A there-and-back route of less than 300 metres leads from this trail to the remains of the Benedictine Abbey. The church and the trail offer different highlights: here, the focus is on surviving architectural features and the tower’s forms; there, on the abbey ruins. Check local conditions before your visit.

The Underground Bataillé River

The underground Bataillé River is in the municipality of Alloinay, which was formed by the merger of Gournay-Loizé and Les Alleuds. The river can be accessed through an artificial, 28-metre-deep shaft at the former Bataillé pumping station. Public visits by people without caving experience must be supervised by a professional caver with a state-recognised diploma. Unlike the short there-and-back route on the Chemin de l’Abbaye, professional supervision is explicitly one of the conditions for visiting here.

Discover more destinations: Marigny, Boussais, La Chapelle-Thireuil, La Chapelle-Saint-Laurent, Saint-Georges-de-Noisné, Fontenille-Saint-Martin-d'Entraigues, Villiers-En-Plaine, Mauléon

For the broader travel overview: Deux-Sèvres.