Royaumont Abbey is a former

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

, located near Asnières-sur-Oise in

Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.< ...

, approximately 30 km north of

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History

It was built between 1228 and 1235 with the support of Louis IX. A proclamation by Louis IX stated that royal children were to be interred at Royaumont. The thirteenth century encyclopedist Vincent of Beauvais was a brother at the Abbey as well. The abbey was dissolved in 1791 during the French Revolution and the stones were partly used to build a factory. However, the

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...

, cloister, and refectory remained intact. In 1836 and 1838, respectively, two operas by German composer Friedrich von Flotow opened at Royaumont—''Sérafine'' and ''Le Comte de Saint-Mégrin''. In the early 20th century, the abbey was bought by the Goüin family who in 1964 created the Royaumont Foundation, the first private French cultural foundation. Today, the abbey is a tourist attraction and also serves as a cultural centre.

World War I

From January 1915 to March 1919, the Abbey was turned into a voluntary hospital, Hôpital Auxiliaire 301, operated by Scottish Women's Hospitals(SWH), under the direction of the French Red Cross. It was especially noted for its performance treating soldiers involved in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

. After the war the Chief Medical Officer, Miss Frances Ivens CBE MS(Lond) ChM(Liverp) FRGOG (1870–1944), was awarded membership of the

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Royaumont Abbey in popular culture

The novel ''In Falling Snow'' by Australian writer Mary-Rose MacColl (first published in Oct. 2012) is set at Royaumont during the time when it was a military hospital and refers to historical figures like Ms Ivens. The novel '' A Good Woman'' by Danielle Steel (first published in Oct. 2008) also includes multiple chapters set at the Abbey during the war. The abbey was used as a filming location for the

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boarding school in Jean Delannoy's '' Les amitiés particulières''. On 15 June 1971,

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

performed live here in front of an audience at the invitation of the Daudy family, the abbey's current owners. The family are well known in France for their cultivation of artistic talent, their generous philanthropy and their visionary taste in music and dance.

Gallery

File:Plan de l'abbaye de Royaumont (Louis Boudan, vers 1700).jpg, Overview of the abbey around 1700 File:Plan de l'abbaye de Royaumont.jpg, Plan of Royaumont before 1791 with the church ("A") still intact File:Abbaye de Royaumont - Réfectoire des moines 01.jpg, Refectory File:Asnières-sur-Oise (95), abbaye de Royaumont, réfectoire des moines, orgue Cavaillé-Coll.JPG, Pipe organ in the refectory File:Asnières-sur-Oise (95), abbaye de Royaumont, cloître, côté nord 4.JPG, Cloister File:Asnières-sur-Oise (95), abbaye de Royaumont, bâtiment des moines, vue depuis l'est 1.JPG, Entrance File:Asnières-sur-Oise (95), abbaye de Royaumont, bâtiment des latrines, vue depuis le nord-est.JPG, Latrine building File:Asnières-sur-Oise (95), abbaye de Royaumont, bâtiment des latrines, vaisseau sud, vue vers l'ouest 1.JPG, Latrine building, inside File:View palaisroyaumont.jpg, ''Palais abbatial''

References

Sources

External links

*
Official site of the Royaumont FoundationPhotos of the abbeyRomanes.com: abbey picturesMore photos (flickr.com)Abbaye de Royaumont

In Falling Snow
{{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1235 Gardens in Val-d'Oise Cistercian monasteries in France Buildings and structures in Val-d'Oise Christian monasteries established in the 1230s Tourist attractions in Île-de-France Tourist attractions in Val-d'Oise Louis IX of France