You could be forgiven for not noticing the remains of what must have been an imposing abbey in the village of Cormery. It has gone undergone a number of changes throughout its history. It was founded  by a small group of Benedictine monks in 791 and became extremely prosperous in the late 15^th century, thriving right up to the late 1600's. By the time of the Revolution, the abbey had greatly declined and only a handful of monks remained. All religious foundations in France became the property of the State at the same time.

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From  1791 onwards, the abbey was broken up into lots and auctioned; the abbey church itself was quarried for its stone of which significant vestiges can be seen today, incorporated into private houses - a patent reminder of the dedication and skill of those early builders and an incitement to protect our heritage. 

A walk around the remains of the abbey reveals the various stages of its construction. The abbey church , after considerable rebuilding, was consecrated again in 1054; the Tower, the entrance into the abbey church and the Romanesque arch in the Logis du Sacriste garden are all that remain from the 11^th century; the Refectory dates from the 13^th century, remains of the cloister from the 14^th century, and also the arches of the Chapter House, now incorporated into a modern house; the Chapel of the Virgin dates from the 15^th century. The houses belonging to the abbot, almoner and the sacriste in the 15^th century remain. Continuing your walk, you will pass the former abbey gardens, still under cultivation a thousand years later, and saunter up to the 12^th century village church, Notre Dame de Fougeray, a church of great simplicity.

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The Logis du Sacriste has been much altered over the century but 15^th century beams, stone corbels as well as the thickness of its walls reveal its age; some of the windows date from the  17^th century. It was the village priest's house for a time in the 19^th century but at the end of that century it was turned into a private girls' school (obviously Catholic as this is France) for over sixty years. Half the house was gutted to make 2 large classrooms on the ground and first floors, accessible by an external wooden staircase.

Since the school closed, successive owners have made careful modifications to the house,   its present owner  has made a unique guest house of this historic "logis." 

Visit of the Abbey in July and August. All the year, groups guided tour on request.
Tel : 00 33 2 47 91 82 87

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