The Tour de Jouarre and its Abbey, a Seine-et-Marne heritage treasure (77)

To the east of the Paris region, in the Pays de Brie, there are many hidden treasures to delight heritage enthusiasts. A visit to the town of Jouarre is an opportunity to discover a treasure trove of rich history: theAbbey of Notre-Dame de Jouarre. Built in the 7th century, the Abbey has stood the test of time and turmoil while remaining active, almost without interruption.

A community of Benedictine nuns has lived here for fourteen centuries. Over time, the monastery prospered and expanded, before being broken up during the French Revolution. The community dispersed for a time, before reuniting and gradually taking over some of the monastery's buildings. Although the site is no longer as extensive as it was at the outset, monastic life continues and even adapts to local life, with the nuns occasionally hosting public events on their territory, notably Christmas festivities.

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The Tour de Jouarre, with its distinctive Romanesque architecture, is open to visitors all year round. This is theformer bell tower of the abbey church, and now houses a museum trail designed for young and old alike, with interactive displays recounting both thehistory of the monastery and the principles of the order on each floor. The site also encourages meditation, with an astonishing library at the top where visitors are invited to open a book at random to discover an excerpt (religious or otherwise) accompanied by thought-provoking questions.

At the foot of the tower, with free access, you'll also find a craft store: ceramics being one of the abbey's specialties, you'll find numerous creations, including santons to decorate nativity scenes. And that's not all, as products from other monasteries and abbeys await us: scented soaps, incense, jams, souvenirs of all kinds and great gift ideas. In addition to the visit and the store, the Tour de Jouarre is also a place where visitors can talk to the sisters and find someone to listen to them: it's not uncommon, far from it, for people to come here in search of quietude and the chance to confide in them, without judgment.

And if you want to continue your immersion in the history of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Jouarre, you can also visit the abbey church adjoining the Jouarre tower, with its modern, sober architecture and distinctive cross of light. Not far away, theSaint-Pierre Saint-Paul church is an older heritage, dating back to the 15th century, offering a contrast with that of the abbey. It is close to the Merovingian crypt at Jouarre, another treasure worth a visit. Add it all up, and you've got a great tour to follow in the footsteps ofNotre-Dame de Jouarre Abbey.