Jumieges, located in a bend of the Seine river downstream of Paris, was the site
of an abbey from ~654 until 1790.
The abbey was founded in or near 654, destroyed by Vikings in 841, rebuilt in
940, and lasted until the French revolution when the last monks left. It
was purchased by the French government in 1947 as a national monument.
A site that originally contained two large churches, one Romanesque (large
round arches) and the
other Gothic (arches with pointy tops), and a large complex of building and gardens for the abbey, is now
a shadow it's former glory thanks to the period of 1794 to 1824 when it was used
as a rock quarry.
Even with all the missing buildings, it is still an
impressive site to explore. The children enjoyed climbing on the ruins and
running free in the large fields. The parents enjoyed the solitude and the
contrast of the architecture.
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