20 Aug 2024
The year 2024 marks the 900th anniversary of the birth of Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of both France and England in the 12th century. The Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud in the Atlantic Loire Valley (Pays de la Loire), her final resting place alongside her husband Henry II and son Richard the Lionheart, is organising a series of initiatives this autumn and winter, inviting the public to rediscover one of the greatest female figures in history.
'IN ELEANOR'S FOOTSTEPS' – a virtual reality trail
Launched 13 July 2024
A major regional project, this trail retraces the history of the Plantagenet family through the various places in the region where Eleanor settled. Fontevraud has been chosen as the first stage in the project, entitled 'Dans Les Pas d'Aliénor'. By scanning four QR codes with their phone or tablet, visitors can enjoy a unique immersive experience inside and outside the abbey church, thanks to innovative technology. Superimposed reality technology will plunge you into the life of Eleanor and the members of the Plantagenet dynasty who shaped the history of France and England. During this 360° journey through time, experience the life of this exceptional woman as if you were there.
'FROM ONE WORLD TO ANOTHER: ELEANOR'S FINAL RESTING PLACE' – a special exhibition
21 September 2024 – 3 March 2025
For this tribute to the Queen, Fontevraud's imposing abbey church nave will be reconstructed as it was restored in the 17th century on the initiative of abbess Jeanne-Baptiste de Bourbon, following the destruction brought about by the French Revolution. The walls and spaces will act like theatre sets, representing the triumphal and colourful monument of yesteryear.
'WOMEN OF THE PLANTAGENET EMPIRE' (1152-1204) – an international conference
3-4 October 2024
Eleanor fascinated her contemporaries, but they all made contradictory judgements about her – and since then, historians have continued to fantasise about her story. But is her extraordinary destiny so rare among the women of her time? Over 10 speakers including Martin Aurell, Nicholas Vincent, Egbert Türk, Karen Sullivan, Fanny Madeline and other professors of medieval history and literature will unite for a two-day conference in Fontevraud's auditorium, focused on addressing this key question.
'ELEANOR'S CHRISTMAS' – a party, workshops and an escape game launch
14 December 2024
To crown the season of festivities, Eleanor is inviting artists to the Abbey and the public to a grand tea party involving a circus, plastic arts, singing and electronic music workshops. For adventurous visitors, a brand new Cluedo-style escape game will be launched at Fontevraud's Museum of Modern Art.
About the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
Situated in a 13-hectare park near Saumur at the heart of the Loire Valley, Fontevraud is Europe's largest monastic site, a former convent which later became a prison and is now a thriving cultural centre with a luxury hotel and Michelin-star restaurant on site. It was founded in 1101 and was the last home of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son Richard the Lionheart, making it inextricably associated with the history of the Plantagenet family. The effigies of Eleanor, Richard and Henry II still lie today in the abbey church. In 2021, Fontevraud opened a new museum of modern art, housing an eclectic collection of over 800 works and pieces gathered over decades by private collectors Martine and Léon Cligman. Great names from 19th- and 20th-century art such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Derain, Delaunay, Vlaminck and Richier rub shoulders with works from Africa, Asia and America, providing an intimate yet fresh perspective on modern art.
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Further information
Browse the Atlantic Loire Valley 2024 press kit
