Ambronay Benedictine Abbey

Gothic jewel

Ambronay Abbey was founded in 800 by Barnard de Romans, a soldier, officer of Charlemagne and future saint.

The abbey church, built on the ruins of the Carolingian church, reveals gargoyles, sculptures and paintings that will amuse children with their fascinating details.

The cloister is a space of serenity that invites meditation: your imagination may pursue a few ghostly silhouettes of monks. The tour ends in the gardens, where you’ll discover the medicinal plants on the botanical trail.

This is a wonderful visit for the whole family, as children are not forgotten: escape game, musical visit… Nothing but fun.

Abbey tours

The cloister is splendid, inviting you to stop for a moment and take in the light streaming through the arches.

Music in the heart of the Abbey

If, during your visit, you hear the angels singing, nothing’s wrong! Since 1980, the Ambronay Festival has succeeded in transforming this superb church into a benchmark for early and baroque music.

From mid-September to mid-October, its excellent acoustics attract artists of international stature, including Jordi Savall and Philippe Jarousski.

Beyond the autumn festival, the abbey’s superb Gothic walls and vaults resonate with concerts, activities and artist residencies all year round. The abbey is coming back to life with projects that go beyond the boundaries of Baroque music to embrace contemporary creation and live performance. A place of expression open to all to discover a variety of artistic practices.

©Ambronay Abbey, in the heart of the "Petite Cité de Caractère|B. Pichène/ CCR Ambronay

1200years

Age of the monastery

45minutes

From Lyon

1 à 2hours

Visit duration

0 euros

Free admission to the church and Gothic cloister

Music at the Abbey

Ambronay- extrait sonore. Date de sortie : 2022.

GOOD TO KNOW

An eventful history over the centuries

From 800, the year of its foundation, to the 18th century, the abbey’s vocation remained unchanged, despite wars and changes of regime, and even of the country to which it belonged.

But in 1791, the monks left. The abbey was converted into a prison for counter-revolutionary prisoners for 7 years.

It was then sold in lots.

The cloister was used as a barn, and the west wing as a girls’ school, then a hospice. The south wing was dedicated to housing: it housed soldiers, then was transformed into social housing from 1839 onwards. The Free French Air Force was housed here in 1944. The Tower is even used as a cheese dairy, the thickness of its walls guaranteeing a perfect temperature for ripening Gruyère cheese.

The church has been protected as a historic monument since 1889.

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Benedictine Abbey of Ambronay

Elevation : 264m

Place de l'Abbaye, 01500 Ambronay