Saint-Peter's Abbey

The abbey has a relatively recent building, constructed from 1722. Both majestic and impressive from the top of its imposing silhouette overlooking the banks of the Sarthe, the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, founded in 1010, is a mecca for Gregorian chant. Occupied by a community of Benedictine monks, only the abbey church can be visited. The latter contains in its transept masterpieces of the French Renaissance: the Saints of Solesmes, two sculpted ensembles dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.

About this building

Narrow and long, the church is composed of two volumes that follow one another: the nave of the faithful, which corresponds to the old church, dating mainly from the 11th and 15th centuries, and the monks' choir, built by Dom Guéranger in 1865. Originally, the church had two aisles that were destroyed during the Hundred Years' War. The openings were then walled up. It was Dom Guéranger who, in the second half of the 19th century, reopened them to fit out the side chapels. The chapels on the left side overlook the cloister and are therefore blind.

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments
  • Atmosphere / quiet space

Visitors information

  • Level access to the main areas
  • Car park at the building
  • Accessible toilets nearby
  • Building shop or souvenirs

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons

Church of Saint-Hilaire

The church of Saint Hilaire would have been built in the 11th century by monks belonging to the bishopric of Le Mans. Over the centuries, the church was enlarged and adapted to the needs of worship. In the 12th century, a high square tower was added to it, resembling a medieval defensive element. In the 13th century, the walls of the nave are covered with numerous wall paintings, completing some of the original ones.

Church of Saint-Sulpice, Avoise

The church Saint Sulpice d'Avoise, dominates the river of Sarthe. Built in the twelfth century, it was reworked many times to take its current form, with renovations completed in the nineteenth century. It is a Romanesque building with a cruciform plan with a single paneled nave and a flat choir. It features an altarpiece by Nicolas Bouteiller, a chalice and various classified statues and bas-reliefs.

Sauvegarde de l'Art Français

Chapel du château de Montabon

The chapel of the castle Montabon is located in Noyen-sur-Sarthe in Pays de Loire. Built in the 17th century, it is the only surviving element of the original Montabon seigniorial estate. In the 19th century, the castle and its outbuildings were destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. The square chapel has a choir with a flat chevet, that is vaulted with ogives and lit by three windows.