hotel de charme au coeur de l'abbaye du tronchet

NOTRE-DAME ABBEY, NEAR THE HOTEL DE L’ABBAYE

Notre-Dame Abbey, at the origin of the hotel

In the XIIth century, a man of great piety named Gaultier lived as a hermit in the forest of the Tronchet, in France. The devotion and faith of this man brought many fidels, and eventually a religious community settled there. Consequently, the seneschal of Dol, eager to ensure the safety of this community choosed to build a church, which would finally become the Notre-Dame Abbey.
At first, it was a simple priory, but soon it would become an Abbey and host many religious people throughout the centuries.

Architecture and garden of the Abbey

The Notre-Dame abbey, strictly speaking, was rebuilt in the XVIIth century a little higher on the hill, because it was standing on a swampy and unhealthy area.
The facade of the Abbey is of classical, neo greek style. The cove upon the entry door is a vestige of the first abbey church of the XIIth century.
The Abbey has one unique nave and is dominated by a bell tower. The inside furniture is very sober. There still remains a tomb which is said to shelter the vaults of the priest’s tombs.
We can perceive a garden outside the church, which was cultivated by the monks to grow their food as well as medicinal plants that they used to heal the community and the pilgrims. This garden has been reconstituted to try to give an idea of the place as it was once. Near the garden of the Notre-Dame Abbey, there is a small orchard which preserve the local trees.