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| {{ |
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} | ||
| {{multiple issues| | |||
| {{Infobox Abbaye | |||
| {{more citations needed|date=September 2023}} | |||
| |nom = Abbaye de l'Épau | |||
| {{no footnotes|date=September 2023}} | |||
| }} | |||
| <!-- {{Expand French|Abbaye de l'Épau|date=April 2012}} --> | |||
| {{Infobox church | |||
| |name = L'Épau Abbey | |||
| |image = Capitulaire Epau.jpg | |image = Capitulaire Epau.jpg | ||
| | |
|caption = Entrance to the Chapter House | ||
| | |
|country = France | ||
| |denomination = ] | |||
| |abbaye mère = | |||
| | |
|founded date = 1229 | ||
| |founder = ] | |||
| |fermeture = | |||
| |diocèse = ] | |||
| |fondateur = ] | |||
| |dédicace = | |||
| |personnes = | |||
| |protection = {{Classé MH|1925|1973|2005}} | |||
| |pays = France | |||
| |région = ] | |||
| |intitulé région = Région | |||
| |subdivision = ] | |||
| |intitulé subdivision = Département | |||
| |commune = ] | |||
| |latitude = 47.991194 | |||
| |longitude = 0.242028 | |||
| |site officiel = | |||
| |géolocalisation = France/Le Mans | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''L'Épau Abbey''' ({{langx|fr|Abbaye de l'Épau}}) is a former ] abbey founded by the English queen ] in 1229. It is located on the outskirts of the city of ], on the left bank of the ], adjoining the town of ]. The abbey was suppressed in the ]. The surviving buildings came close to destruction on several occasions, but their preservation was finally assured in 1958 by the General Council of the ] department. | |||
| == |
==History== | ||
| === |
=== Origins === | ||
| ], built within the confines of Norman Maine by the powerful William III of Bellême, can be considered the oldest Cistercian abbey in ]. It was built in 1145, and is today situated in the commune of ]. All that remains of it today is a section of wall. During the second millennium, Le Mans saw the construction of several abbeys. Religious faith was booming in the town: The renowned La Couture abbey was built, as were the Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul and Saint-Vincent abbeys. Mostly, the abbeys were built in privileged areas in the heart of the forest. In 1199, the English queen ] was beside herself with grief. Her husband, ], had succumbed to his wounds in a crossbow battle at Châlus in Haute-Vienne. The Queen was removed from power in Maine but settled among the Plantagenet dynasty in 1204. She became a ]. In addition, she began to spend all of her time at the Palace of the Count of Maine. Legend has it that the Queen found asylum, but not happiness, in the town. Certain local government figures, collaborating with her mother-in-law, ], or brother-in-law, ], constantly waged battle with the Queen, trying to steal the land granted to her by the French king ]. Only after 26 years in exile did the Queen, aged 59, decide to found an abbey. | |||
| === Construction of the abbey === | |||
| We can consider Abbey Perseigne high on the borders of Maine-Norman by the powerful William III of Bellême, as the oldest Cistercian abbey of Maine . It was built in 1145, it is now located in the town of Neufchatel-en-Saosnois . It remains today a section of wall. But during the second millennium, the city of Le Mans seen rising several abbeys. This marked the rise of faith in the city: the abbeys of St Peter and St Paul, but also the abbey of Saint Vincent and the well known La Couture. Most often, the abbeys were still installed so privileged confines of the forest. Berengaria of Navarre finds himself in 1199 . Her husband, Richard the Lionheart died of his wounds a bow gun arrow at the siege of Chalus received in Haute-Vienne. The queen is pushed from power, usufructuary County Maine it moves into the capital Plantagenet in 1204 . According to legend, it would be installed in the famous house of Queen Berengaria . But it is nothing because it will spend all his time at Palace of the Counts of Maine . It is commonly said that the queen found asylum in the city, but not happiness. Part of local government, in cahoots with Eleanor of Aquitaine and John Lackland, did not cease to fight against it to take possession of her dower, bequeathed by Philip Augustus . Only after 26 years of exile in the city that the Queen, at the age of 59 years, decided to found an abbey. | |||
| Saint-Benoit rules maintained that an abbey built outside the city limits should respect the obligations of spiritual sanctuary. However, the Queen elected to have the abbey built between the town and forest, at the city limits of Le Mans. The Queen built it for her own salvation. Both history and legend suggest that this abbey may also have been built to redeem the fortunes of Plantagenet Kings. On 25 March 1229, the Queen ordered the Citeaux monks to begin construction of Notre-Dame-de-l'Epau. Furthermore, the Queen was a benefactor of this order. The decision to choose monks residing locally was not left to chance. The Queen was also a great friend of confidant Adam de Perseigne, a priest at the monastery of the same name and long-time confidant of Richard the Lionheart. Father of the Queen, Sanche VI, himself founded the abbey at Oliva in 1140. | |||
| This tranquil site was chosen as the river Huisne was teeming with fish. Although Louis IX ceded the Espal grounds to the Queen, it would be the monks of Coëffort who would be troublesome to Queen Berengaria. This brotherhood asked the Queen for financial compensation, claiming that the land had been left to them by Arthur of Brittany, Queen Berengaria's nephew. | |||
| === construction of the abbey === | |||
| Plans for the abbey were classic with construction respecting the style of other Cistercian buildings. Construction took from 1230 to 1365. The early phases of construction went smoothly. Four years after construction began, the Bishop of Le Mans Geoffroy de Laval placed the monastery under the patronage of both Notre-Dame and Saint John the Baptiste. The main buildings were not finished until 1280. | |||
| ] | |||
| === The Hundred Years' War === | |||
| The requirement of regular St. Benedict Abbey wants, if it is not installed in the heart of a busy city, must comply eremitic asceticism. Queen ignores because it decides to install the building between forest and city, close to Le Mans. The queen had built the building for his own salvation. The history and legend met by suggesting that this abbey was built to redeem the existence of some dissolute Plantagenet kings. March 25, 1229, the queen ordered the construction of Notre-Dame-de-Epau the monks of Citeaux. It is also proved a benefactor of this regular order. The choice of the monks living there has not been done at random. The queen is also a great friend of Adam Perseigne, abbot of the monastery of the same name and former confessor to Richard the Lion Heart. The father of Queen, Sancho VI himself had founded in 1140 the Abbey of Oliva. | |||
| In March 1365, in the middle of the ], the people of ] burned the building of their own accord. As the monks had left the abbey, the inhabitants feared that enemy troops would seize the building and use it as a base from which to attack the town. In fact, it was the noblemen who forced the people to take action. The church was the part of the abbey to suffer the most damage. However, the following year the bourgeois of Le Mans decided to completely rebuild the damaged parts of the church. But they were not the ones who financed the renovation. Money was difficult to come by in the region and donations to religious orders were rare. | |||
| The place is first chosen as very quiet at the edge of a Huisne fish. Louis IX gives the field of Espal the queen but it's the little brothers of Coëffort hospital that will lead a hard life to Berengaria. The latter will require financial compensation to the Queen, claiming that their land was sold by Arthur of Brittany, nephew of Berengaria. | |||
| The plan of the abbey is classic, construction respects the unity of all Cistercian foundations. the construction period extends from 1230 to 1365. The start of construction was fairly rapid. Four years after work began, the bishop of Le Mans Geoffroy de Laval made the dedication of the monastic building by keeping under the patronage of both Notre Dame and St. John the Baptist. The main building was not completed until 1280. | |||
| === 14th–17th centuries === | |||
| === During the ] === | |||
| All the damaged buildings were renovated between 1400 and 1444. Charles VI raised finances by taxing the local population. One of the main artisans of the church restoration was Guillaume de Bonneville. | |||
| === 18th–19th centuries === | |||
| In March 1365, in full ], the Manceaux burn themselves the building. The monks who left the abbey, people are afraid that the enemy does not take the building into a headquarters garrison to attack the city. These are the notables themselves which have outraged the people to take action. The church is part of the abbey have suffered most. Yet the following year, the citizens of Le Mans decide to completely rebuild the damaged parts. These however are not those who fund the renovation. Money is scarce in the region and donations involve more the mendicant orders. | |||
| At the beginning of the ], the abbey was transformed into a gigantic agricultural outbuilding. Yet the abbey was already listed as a "historic monument." Its cultural value was already recognised by the old regime, in particular the ancient church, its sacristy and most of all its 18th-century staircase. | |||
| In July 1940, the German Wehrmacht turned the abbey into a "Frontlager" to house French officer POWs who were taken after the armistice in the region of the Sarthe. Eventually, this camp was closed and the prisoners were moved to Oflag XIIIA. After the war, the elected politicians of the Sarthe and Mayenne regions voted unanimously to buy back and restore the abbey which had been a monastic retreat for half a millennium. In 1958, the building was acquired by the regional council of the Sarthe for 11 million old francs. The abbey underwent a long restoration, strictly observing the 13th-century architectural style. Both the ] of Le Mans and Paris actively participated. The church, the sacristy, the ], the staircase, and the cellar had already been listed since 1925 and the façades and roof were first listed in 1961 before these were reclassified in 1973 and again in 2005. At this point, the abbey became both a place to visit and host events. Between 1965 and 1990, the abbey became popular for cultural functions, in particular for classical music events, conferences, and exhibitions. The location is also used as the chair for the departmental assembly, in particular the 18th-century wing, which was restored in 1990. By 1991, a total of 60 million new francs had been spent overall on renovations. | |||
| All damaged buildings are renovated between 1400 and 1444. Funding comes from a new size Manceaux imposed by Charles VI. One of the main architects of the renaissance of the abbey is Guillaume de Bonneville. | |||
| Template: Sp-s | |||
| At the beginning of the Revolution, the building was transformed into a giant barn. However, the abbey is already classified "historical monument". His heritage was already recognized under the former regime, including through its abbey church, the sacristy and especially its staircase of Template: S- . | |||
| == The Queen's tomb == | |||
| As she neared death, Berengaria of Navarra made clear her wish to be buried within the Abbey. Doubt remains over the exact location of her burial. Although the recumbent statue and tomb are there today, the exact whereabouts of her burial are unknown. In 1960, Pierre Térouanne found a wholly intact female skeleton in the basement of the chapter house. A small oak box has always followed the recumbent figure of the Queen despite its many pilgrimages since the Revolution. The marking Ossa Berangeria / 1230-1672-1821-1861 appears on the box. In reality, the Queen died before the Abbey could be finished. The only possibility for her burial site would have been in the abbey grounds. Her remains should therefore be situated underneath the tomb, a medieval work of art from the 13th century. On the tomb, the recumbent statue is similar to that of Aliénor d'Aquitaine at Fontevrault Abbey. The Queen is resting on her back, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist by a belt. The royal crown is placed on her head, which rests on a cushion. At her feet, a lion is depicted slaying a greyhound. The lion and crown are symbols of royalty while the money-bag by her belt represents generosity. Her hands, folded over her chest, hold a book, the cover of which represents her own burial. In 1365, the building was devastated by fire and the tomb would certainly have been moved to the chapter house. It was definitely brought into the abbey in 1672, where it remained until the ] when the building was sold as a clergy asset. The building became a gigantic agricultural grange and the tomb was lost carelessly under straw. Charles Albert Shotard, specially brought over from England, had to intervene and enforce that the tomb be respected. Pierre Thoré, the owner of the grange at the abbey, resolved himself to be separated from the tomb shortly afterwards. In December 1821, it was transferred to the northern transept of the cathedral. In 1861, the tomb was moved to the southern transept to make room for another tomb; that of Monseigneur Bouvier. The Queen's tomb was again displaced in 1920 when it was moved back to the northern transept in order to make room for a monument for the priests of the diocese who died for France. It would be 1970 before the Queen's tomb would finally be brought back to the chapter house at the Abbaye de l'Epau. It was placed above the mysterious remains found by Pierre Terouanne. This skeleton belonged to a woman who died in her sixties, or the age of the Queen at the time of her death. What is inside the box attached to the Queen's tomb is still a mystery to this day. | |||
| December 18, 1925, a great upheaval of restoration is started on the church by the School of Fine Arts. World War II stopped the work in 1938. After the war, all elected Sarthe and Mayenne voted unanimously redemption and restoration of an abbey having lived for five centuries to the rhythm of monastic life. The building was acquired in 1958 by the General Council of Sarthe for eleven million old francs . She has been a long recovery in a strict adherence to the architectural style of Template: S- . This included the participation and control institutes of Fine Arts of Le Mans and Paris. In 1961, the building is classified as historical monuments. That's when the abbey became also a place of welcome and visits. Between 1965 and 1990, the abbey became a proper place for cultural events, especially for classical music concerts, conferences or exhibitions. The place is also where the county council seat, especially in the eighteenth wing. The renovation of the latter was completed in 1990. In 1991, there were a total expenditure of sixty million francs for all the new renovations. | |||
| === Effigy of Queen Berengaria === | |||
| ] | |||
| Berengaria of Navarre held at his death to be buried within the abbey. Doubt remains as to exactly where she got buried because if his lying is there today, no one knows for sure where his body was deposited. Terouanne stone found in 1960, a female skeleton complete and intact in the basement of the chapter house. A small oak box has always followed the recumbent figure of the queen, despite his many travels since the Revolution. On this box was marked Ossa Berangeria / 1230-1672-1821-1861 . However, the queen died, even though the abbey has not finished out of the ground. The only possibility would be that of burial in the abbey. His body would be lying beneath the current, a work of medieval art from the middle of Template: S- . The style of lying is close to that of Eleanor of Aquitaine at the Abbey of Fontevrault . The queen is lying on her back, wearing a long robe tightened at the waist by a belt. The royal crown is placed on his head, itself resting on a cushion. At his feet is represented a lion bringing down a greyhound. The crown and the lion are symbols of royalty while the purse lying near his belt, represents generosity. In his hands folded on his chest, the queen takes a book whose cover is lying on its own. In 1365, the fire reached the building lot and lying was certainly moved to the chapter house . He was, and it is a certainty, brought in the abbey in 1672 . He remained there until the Revolution and until resale of the building as a national clergy. The building became a giant agricultural barn and was commonly lying buried under the straw. It took the intervention of Charles Albert Shotard, sent specially from England to look after the effigies of the Plantagenets, to the tomb is respected. The owner of the abbey barn, Pierre Thore, will resolve to separate from lying some time after. He will be transferred in the cross Northern Cathedral in December 1821 . In 1861, the lying is moved to the south transept, leaving only the recumbent figure of Bishop Bouvier. In 1920, the recumbent backtracked and is again transferred into the north transept, the monument to make way for the priests of the diocese who died for France. It was in 1970 that the lying is finally reduced to Epau The Abbey, in the chapter house. They placed him above the mysterious tomb found by Pierre Terouanne. The skeleton indicates that the dead woman here was to have sixty years of age at the time of the queen of his death. The question is what is really in the box attached to the recumbent figure of the queen. | |||
| == Le gisant de la reine == | |||
| ] | |||
| == List of Abbotts == | |||
| {{boîte déroulante|titre=Liste des abbés de l'Epau|contenu= | |||
| 1- Jean, ...1233–1243. | |||
| 2- N... de Beaumont, 1244 - ... | |||
| 3- Hamon, ...1267... | |||
| 4- Guillaume {{Ier}}, ... 1303... | |||
| 5- Pierre {{Ier}} du Mans, ...1305... | |||
| 6- Guillaume II de Beaumont, ...1326 - † 1336. | |||
| 7- Nicolas, ...1361... | |||
| 8- Guillaume III, ... - 1367, puis abbé du Loroux. | |||
| 9- Guillaume IV Symi, 1367 - ... | |||
| 10- Jean II, ... 1378 - † 1395. | |||
| 11- Pierre II Baion, 1396–1400. | |||
| 12- Jean III, 1401–1403... | |||
| 13- Jacques Guillemet, ...1408–1415... | |||
| 14- Jean IV Barbes, ...1440... | |||
| 15- Guillaume V de Bonneville, ... - † 1444. | |||
| 16- Henri, ...1448–1451... | |||
| 17- Jean V, ...1462–1476... | |||
| '''Abbés commendataires''' : | |||
| 18- Thomas des Capitaines, ...1480–1488..., frère jacobin, docteur en théologie, confesseur du Roi. | |||
| 19- Jean Tafforeau, ... 1485 - † 25 juin 1493 ''(abbé régulier)'' | |||
| 20- Matthieu (ou Macé) Petiot, ... 1494–1501 ..., aussi abbé de Fontaine-Daniel (1499-1522). | |||
| 21- Jean Aubinière, ... 1503 - † 1er septembre 1527. | |||
| 22- Jean Cheval, 1527–1554... | |||
| 23- François Menaut, 2 mai 1561–1563... | |||
| 24- Pierre Lecaneux, 26 avril 1568 - ... | |||
| 25- ], ...1577 - 1606..., aussi évêque de Langres (1566), de Paris (1568-98), créé cardinal du titre de S. Silvestre le 18 décembre 1587, chancelier et grand aumônier d’Élisabeth d’Autriche, femme de Charles IX, également abbé de S.Aubin d’Angers, Notre-Dame la Blanche, Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes, Champagne, La Chaume, Buzay, Chassagne, S.Martin de Pontoise, Saint-Jean-des-Vignes et S. Crespin de Soissons etc…, envoyé comme ambassadeur auprès du duc de Savoie et vers les papes Pie V, Grégoire XIII et Sixte V ; baptisa le dauphin -futur Louis XIII- et mourut à Paris le 7 février 1616, âgé de 84 ans. | |||
| 26- ], ...1614 - 1634…, neveu du précédent, doyen de l’église de Paris (1610), puis premier archevêque d’icelle (1622), aussi abbé de la Chaume, S.Aubin d’Angers, Buzay (1622) et S.Martin de Pontoise, mort le 21 mars 1654 à Paris à l’âge de 71 ans. | |||
| 27- ], ...1648 - † 8 avril 1651 à Paris à l’âge de 62 ans, évêque de Chartres (3 juin 1620), puis archevêque de Reims (16 décembre 1641), aussi abbé de S.Martin de Pontoise, La Couture, l'Épine, Bourgueil (1605-44), La Cour-Dieu, Champagne, Vaas et La Pelice. | |||
| 28- François-Nicolas Brulart de Sillery, ...1654 - 1675, neveu du précédent, prêtre de Paris, échange avec le suivant contre l’abbaye de Tonnerre dont il sera abbé jusqu’en 1689, aussi abbé de la Cour-Dieu (1635), La Pelice, Saint-Basle et du Jard (1645-53). | |||
| 29- ], 1675 – résigne en 1684, neveu du précédent, évêque de Soissons (1689), membre de l’Académie française (1705), aussi abbé de S.Basle, Chézy, La Pelice, Mas-Garnier et Tonnerre (1670-75), mort le 19 novembre 1714 à Paris à l’âge de 59 ans. | |||
| 30- Léonor Brulart de Sillery, 10 mars 1684 - † 1699. | |||
| 31- ], décembre 1699 - † 18 avril 1733 en son château archiépiscopal de Gaillon à l’âge de 63 ans, successivement évêque de Vannes (1716), Nantes (1717) et archevêque de Rouen (1723), aussi abbé de Bonneval (1711) et Longpont (1715). | |||
| 32- Jacques-Érasme du Hardas de Hauteville, 1733 - † 6 juin 1781, licencié en théologie. | |||
| 33- Joseph-Marie-Anne Gros de Besplas, 31 octobre 1781 - † 18 août 1783, docteur en Sorbonne, vicaire général de Besançon. | |||
| 34- Herculin-Pierre-Charles de Langan de Boisfévrier, 7 décembre 1783–1790, vicaire général de Quimper. | |||
| ; Source : D’après le Gallia et M.A. Dimier. | |||
| }} | |||
| == Composition architecturale == | |||
| ] | |||
| * Arcatures sur la façade sud | |||
| * Porte du réfectoire du {{s-|XIII|e}} | |||
| * Salle capitulaire composée de 9 travées, arcs doubleaux et diagonaux | |||
| * Salle des moines ou scriptorium avec des voûtes d'arêtes du {{s-|XVIII|e}} | |||
| * Parloirs et escaliers de fer forgé du {{s-|XVIII|e}} | |||
| * Rosace | |||
| * Fresques du {{s-|XIV|e}} | |||
| * Charpente de châtaignier du {{s-|XV|e}} | |||
| == Événements == | |||
| Lieu institutionnel et culturel, l'Abbaye accueille notamment le fameux ] organisé sous l'égide du Conseil général; Il se déroule tous les ans au mois de mai. Il s'agit de l'un des festivals "classique" les plus attractifs de la région, avec ] de ]. | |||
| Les réunions de l’Assemblée départementale du Conseil Général de la Sarthe se tiennent dans cette Abbaye | |||
| == Voir aussi == | |||
| === Références === | |||
| {{Références}} | |||
| === Liens externes === | |||
| {{Autres projets | |||
| | commons = Category:Abbaye de l'Épau | |||
| }} | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| == External links == | |||
| {{Palette Patrimoine du Mans}} | |||
| * {{Official website|http://www.sartheinteractive.com/epau/fr/}} | |||
| {{Portail|architecture chrétienne|monachisme|Le Mans|Sarthe|MH}} | |||
| * | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
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| {{Coord|47|59|28|N|0|14|31|E|region:FR_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki|display=title}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Abbaye de l'Epau}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Epau Abbey}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 14:47, 28 November 2024
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|
| L'Épau Abbey | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to the Chapter House | |
| Country | France |
| Denomination | Cistercians |
| History | |
| Founded | 1229 |
| Founder(s) | Berengaria of Navarre |
L'Épau Abbey (French: Abbaye de l'Épau) is a former Cistercian abbey founded by the English queen Berengaria of Navarre in 1229. It is located on the outskirts of the city of Le Mans, on the left bank of the Huisne, adjoining the town of Yvré-l'Évêque. The abbey was suppressed in the French Revolution. The surviving buildings came close to destruction on several occasions, but their preservation was finally assured in 1958 by the General Council of the Sarthe department.
History
Origins
Perseigne Abbey, built within the confines of Norman Maine by the powerful William III of Bellême, can be considered the oldest Cistercian abbey in Maine. It was built in 1145, and is today situated in the commune of Neufchâtel-en-Saosnois. All that remains of it today is a section of wall. During the second millennium, Le Mans saw the construction of several abbeys. Religious faith was booming in the town: The renowned La Couture abbey was built, as were the Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul and Saint-Vincent abbeys. Mostly, the abbeys were built in privileged areas in the heart of the forest. In 1199, the English queen Berengaria of Navarre was beside herself with grief. Her husband, King Richard the Lionheart, had succumbed to his wounds in a crossbow battle at Châlus in Haute-Vienne. The Queen was removed from power in Maine but settled among the Plantagenet dynasty in 1204. She became a dowager. In addition, she began to spend all of her time at the Palace of the Count of Maine. Legend has it that the Queen found asylum, but not happiness, in the town. Certain local government figures, collaborating with her mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, or brother-in-law, John Lackland, constantly waged battle with the Queen, trying to steal the land granted to her by the French king Philip Augustus. Only after 26 years in exile did the Queen, aged 59, decide to found an abbey.
Construction of the abbey
Saint-Benoit rules maintained that an abbey built outside the city limits should respect the obligations of spiritual sanctuary. However, the Queen elected to have the abbey built between the town and forest, at the city limits of Le Mans. The Queen built it for her own salvation. Both history and legend suggest that this abbey may also have been built to redeem the fortunes of Plantagenet Kings. On 25 March 1229, the Queen ordered the Citeaux monks to begin construction of Notre-Dame-de-l'Epau. Furthermore, the Queen was a benefactor of this order. The decision to choose monks residing locally was not left to chance. The Queen was also a great friend of confidant Adam de Perseigne, a priest at the monastery of the same name and long-time confidant of Richard the Lionheart. Father of the Queen, Sanche VI, himself founded the abbey at Oliva in 1140.
This tranquil site was chosen as the river Huisne was teeming with fish. Although Louis IX ceded the Espal grounds to the Queen, it would be the monks of Coëffort who would be troublesome to Queen Berengaria. This brotherhood asked the Queen for financial compensation, claiming that the land had been left to them by Arthur of Brittany, Queen Berengaria's nephew.
Plans for the abbey were classic with construction respecting the style of other Cistercian buildings. Construction took from 1230 to 1365. The early phases of construction went smoothly. Four years after construction began, the Bishop of Le Mans Geoffroy de Laval placed the monastery under the patronage of both Notre-Dame and Saint John the Baptiste. The main buildings were not finished until 1280.
The Hundred Years' War
In March 1365, in the middle of the Hundred Years' War, the people of Le Mans burned the building of their own accord. As the monks had left the abbey, the inhabitants feared that enemy troops would seize the building and use it as a base from which to attack the town. In fact, it was the noblemen who forced the people to take action. The church was the part of the abbey to suffer the most damage. However, the following year the bourgeois of Le Mans decided to completely rebuild the damaged parts of the church. But they were not the ones who financed the renovation. Money was difficult to come by in the region and donations to religious orders were rare.
14th–17th centuries
All the damaged buildings were renovated between 1400 and 1444. Charles VI raised finances by taxing the local population. One of the main artisans of the church restoration was Guillaume de Bonneville.
18th–19th centuries
At the beginning of the French Revolution, the abbey was transformed into a gigantic agricultural outbuilding. Yet the abbey was already listed as a "historic monument." Its cultural value was already recognised by the old regime, in particular the ancient church, its sacristy and most of all its 18th-century staircase.
In July 1940, the German Wehrmacht turned the abbey into a "Frontlager" to house French officer POWs who were taken after the armistice in the region of the Sarthe. Eventually, this camp was closed and the prisoners were moved to Oflag XIIIA. After the war, the elected politicians of the Sarthe and Mayenne regions voted unanimously to buy back and restore the abbey which had been a monastic retreat for half a millennium. In 1958, the building was acquired by the regional council of the Sarthe for 11 million old francs. The abbey underwent a long restoration, strictly observing the 13th-century architectural style. Both the National School of Fine Arts of Le Mans and Paris actively participated. The church, the sacristy, the chapter house, the staircase, and the cellar had already been listed since 1925 and the façades and roof were first listed in 1961 before these were reclassified in 1973 and again in 2005. At this point, the abbey became both a place to visit and host events. Between 1965 and 1990, the abbey became popular for cultural functions, in particular for classical music events, conferences, and exhibitions. The location is also used as the chair for the departmental assembly, in particular the 18th-century wing, which was restored in 1990. By 1991, a total of 60 million new francs had been spent overall on renovations.
The Queen's tomb
As she neared death, Berengaria of Navarra made clear her wish to be buried within the Abbey. Doubt remains over the exact location of her burial. Although the recumbent statue and tomb are there today, the exact whereabouts of her burial are unknown. In 1960, Pierre Térouanne found a wholly intact female skeleton in the basement of the chapter house. A small oak box has always followed the recumbent figure of the Queen despite its many pilgrimages since the Revolution. The marking Ossa Berangeria / 1230-1672-1821-1861 appears on the box. In reality, the Queen died before the Abbey could be finished. The only possibility for her burial site would have been in the abbey grounds. Her remains should therefore be situated underneath the tomb, a medieval work of art from the 13th century. On the tomb, the recumbent statue is similar to that of Aliénor d'Aquitaine at Fontevrault Abbey. The Queen is resting on her back, dressed in a long robe tied at the waist by a belt. The royal crown is placed on her head, which rests on a cushion. At her feet, a lion is depicted slaying a greyhound. The lion and crown are symbols of royalty while the money-bag by her belt represents generosity. Her hands, folded over her chest, hold a book, the cover of which represents her own burial. In 1365, the building was devastated by fire and the tomb would certainly have been moved to the chapter house. It was definitely brought into the abbey in 1672, where it remained until the French Revolution when the building was sold as a clergy asset. The building became a gigantic agricultural grange and the tomb was lost carelessly under straw. Charles Albert Shotard, specially brought over from England, had to intervene and enforce that the tomb be respected. Pierre Thoré, the owner of the grange at the abbey, resolved himself to be separated from the tomb shortly afterwards. In December 1821, it was transferred to the northern transept of the cathedral. In 1861, the tomb was moved to the southern transept to make room for another tomb; that of Monseigneur Bouvier. The Queen's tomb was again displaced in 1920 when it was moved back to the northern transept in order to make room for a monument for the priests of the diocese who died for France. It would be 1970 before the Queen's tomb would finally be brought back to the chapter house at the Abbaye de l'Epau. It was placed above the mysterious remains found by Pierre Terouanne. This skeleton belonged to a woman who died in her sixties, or the age of the Queen at the time of her death. What is inside the box attached to the Queen's tomb is still a mystery to this day.
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47°59′28″N 0°14′31″E / 47.99111°N 0.24194°E / 47.99111; 0.24194
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