ABBEY OF NOTRE-DAME-DE-PROTECTION
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Benedictine Abbey with remarkable sculptures and contemporary stained glass windows, welcoming women for a quiet retreat.
The current abbey was originally built for a community of Capuchin monks. In 1789, this Mendicant Order fell into disuse and the last Capuchins went into exile in Jersey. Now a sheet factory, the convent was bought by the Benedictines in 1810. The 1944 bombings did not spare this haven of peace; eighty-four bombs fell into the monastery enclosure. The reconstruction harmoniously blends the old and the modern, in a very monastic sobriety. Contemporary sculptures and stained-glass windows are next to works of the great century – 17th-century wooden altarpiece with the painting of La Hague, stained-glass windows by Leon Zack – in a vast church with a single nave, whose 1956 structure evokes a reversed ship’s hull. When visiting the site, make sure you respect the calm and serenity of the area. Benedictines depend on the order of contemplatives. The humble and peaceful welcome is an invitation to observation and meditation. Here, women can also be welcomed for a quiet retreat. For those who have never tried it and who wish to recharge their batteries or simply work in peace, don’t worry: your outings are obviously free, the meal times are simply fixed and respected. Finally, a visit here cannot be conceived without a visit to the store, as the Valbonne Benedictines produce their fruit pastes and also offer many other products.
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