ABBAYE DE VALENCE

Built in a meander of the Dive river, Valence Abbey is located on a 13-hectare estate. It was founded in 1230 by Hugues X de Lusignan. Featuring an abbey church 70 m long and 30 m wide, the Cistercian church was one of the most important monuments in southern Vienne. Damaged and burned during the Wars of Religion, it was sold as national property during the French Revolution. Only the monks' hostel and refectory bear witness to the original ^13th-century construction. The gatehouse, a stone milestone and the bridge over the Dive are listed buildings.