HAMBYE
Notre Dame Abbey
Hambye Abbey was built in the 12th Century on the banks of the Sienne river in a small deep valley.
This environment, which is still preserved today, makes this site a haven of calm and serenity.
Built in the 12th Century by the Lord of the estate, Guillaume Paynel, Hambye abbey receives Benedictine monks. It was very prosperous until the 14th Century, after which it began to fall into decline.
The religious community died out in the 18th century, a few years before the French Revolution.
The abbey became a national property in 1790 and the church was transformed into a stone quarry starting in 1810. The cloister was not spared as it was torn down over the next few years.
Hambye Abbey is among the most complete Medieval monastic complexes in Lower Normandy.
You can visit the abbey:
- Non-guided visit:
The abbey church, the gatehouse, the lay people's house
The "From prayer to the fields - The economic life of a Medieval abbey" exhibition.
- Guided visit:
The curtilage of the abbey with the church and private monastic buildings (the monks' quarters and the chapter house, a jewel of Norman Gothic art, the parlour, the scriptorium and the sacristy, the kitchen and agricultural buildings).
The abbey became a national property in 1790 and the church was transformed into a stone quarry starting in 1810. The cloister was not spared as it was torn down over the next few years.
Hambye Abbey is among the most complete Medieval monastic complexes in Lower Normandy.
You can visit the abbey:- Non-guided visit:
The abbey church, the gatehouse, the lay people's house
The "From prayer to the fields - The economic life of a Medieval abbey" exhibition.
- Guided visit:
The curtilage of the abbey with the church and private monastic buildings (the monks' quarters and the chapter house, a jewel of Norman Gothic art, the parlour, the scriptorium and the sacristy, the kitchen and agricultural buildings).
Contact: Abbaye de Hambye - Route de l'Abbaye - 50450 Hambye
02 33 61 76 92