The Abbey was founded in 1099 and, unusually, was home to both monks and nuns of the Benedictine order, with an Abbess in charge. It was a favourite place of retirement for aristocratic ladies, such as discarded royal mistresses and dowager queens. The most famous of the latter was Eléonore of Aquitaine, who had been Queen of both England and France.

Fontevrault was the burial place of the Plantagenet Kings who ruled England and a large chunk of France from 1154 to 1485. There were 15 tombs here originally, but the Revolution's iconoclasm reduced the number to four: Henry II, his Queen the aforesaid Eléonore, Richard I the Lionheart and Isabelle, Queen to King John.

This is a fantastic place, well worth a visit if you're passing within, say, a hundred miles. All the monastic buildings remain, including the pure Romanesque church and various Renaissance and Classical additions. The medieval kitchen is particularly fascinating, circular and surrounded with vast fireplaces, each big enough to roast an elephant, with delightful pepperpot chimneys on the outside.

Incidentally, though the Abbey is called Fontevrault, the town is Fontevraud. Go figure.