Abbaye Saint-Vigor de Cerisy-la-Forêt

About the museum

The abbey is said to have been founded around 510 by Saint Vigor, future bishop of Bayeux. Around 1030, Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, established by charter a new Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Vigor. His son William the Conqueror continued the work, and the abbey was built in the Romanesque style, in Caen stone. It reached its height in the 12th century.

In the 13th century the façade received a Gothic porch and two towers, and a gift from Saint Louis made possible the construction of the abbot's private chapel in 1260. The abbey was fortified in 1418 during the Hundred Years' War, then sacked by Protestants in 1562. The Revolution drove out the last monks in 1791; the monastic buildings were largely destroyed, and part of the nave was pulled down in 1811. The abbey has been listed as a historic monument since 1840.

The abbey church is considered a jewel of Lower Norman Romanesque art, with an apse pierced by windows on three levels and forty choir stalls, among the oldest in Normandy. The Friends of the Abbey association, founded in 1939, animates the site and funds restoration campaigns. The permanent exhibitions are in the Abbot's Chapel, the Hall of Justice and the Musée Henri Javalet, which holds the “Musée de France” label.

Highlights

• Romanesque abbey church with apse windowed on three levels
• Forty choir stalls from around 1400, among the oldest in Normandy
• 13th-century Abbot's Chapel with 15th-century frescoes
• Hall of Justice with furniture and manuscripts of the monks
• Musée Henri Javalet, labelled “Musée de France”

Permanent exhibitions

• L’abbatiale – Romanesque church with an apse pierced by windows on three levels, its forty choir stalls and a forty-metre south transept.
• Chapelle de l’Abbé et salle de Justice – Gothic chapel with 15th-century frescoes and the abbot's Hall of Justice, which presents furniture, documents and manuscripts of the monks.
• Musée Henri Javalet – Museum holding the “Musée de France” label, which traces the eventful history of the abbey; the original floor tiles of the Abbot's Chapel are on display here.

Visitors per year

approx. 9,543

Admission & discounts

Rates for self-guided visits: €7 full price, €4 reduced. Free for children under 12.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A project to renovate the reception area and visitor route is under study, to make it easier to welcome visitors with reduced mobility, in particular through full virtual tours accessible from the logis.

Kids & families

School programme with self-guided or guided visits and educational activities, from primary school to upper secondary (lycée).

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

Picnic and walking area by the shores of the Étang aux Moines.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit