The enchanting abbey of Chaalis offers a fantastic trip back into the history ot one of the greatest and renown abbeys in the country.
The domain includes a large park, the ruins of the old abbey church, a superb chapel, fantastic 14th century frescoes, a beautiful rose garden and the Jacquemart André museum installed in the 18th century abbey church, which brings together works from different eras, with invaluable art works.
Enchanting Chaalis
Description
the Royal Abbey of Chaalis and the Jacquemart André Museum
Practical information:
• Collection point: to be confirmed
• Duration: 06h
• Private transport
• Dates and fares: Contact us
• Transportation and all sites tickets included.
Located a few kilometers from Senlis and founded in the 12th century, the Royal Abbey of Chaalis, created by Louis the VIth, was of great importance, reaching its peak in the 14th century.
In the 18th century the abbey was abandoned because faced with serious financial problems, the monks left for other monasteries.
The large buildings remaining now house the art collections of the Jacquemart-André, who bought the domain in the mid-nineteenth century. Today, the Museum is made up of more than 6,000 works of art, furniture, paintings, sculptures, decorative objects, and the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Collection. This museum contains one of the most important collections on the French philosopher (manuscripts, iconographies, etc.).
The owner during the French Revolution, sold the stones of the old abbey church, using it as a stone quarry up to the 18(à’s. Today the ruins of this church bring a romantic side to the whole site.
Right next to the ruins of the church is a superb chapel,
This is the Notre-Dame chapel, the exterior part of which is very sober, the interior includes quite remarkable Renaissance frescoes, they were painted by the Primaticce, a 16th century Italian artist.
A rose garden is installed in the park, it is closed by a crenellated wall also from the 16th century: the Serlio wall.
