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Home > Travel France > France Attractions > Abbaye Aux Dames: History through Centuries
Abbaye Aux Dames: History through Centuries
The Abbaye aux Dames is located between the right side of the River Charente and the Saint Pallais church. Originally, it was built and founded in the year 1047 by Agnes de Bourgogne and her husband Geoffroy Martel as the first convent in the Saintonge region. For 745, it was the house of the Benedictine nuns. Some years after it was used as a hospital, prison and army barracks. Today, it is an institution of music and other different artistic manifestations.
As mentioned above, when this building opened its doors, it was a convent which after the French Revolution was transformed in a hospital and then a prison. But that is not all. In the year 1798 when it was still a convent, it was turned into a troop barrack, and then in 1808, Napoleon used it too. After that, it was used as a dormitory, and during those years, the building was much damaged.
It was until 1840 that the structure was declared national historic monument, and in the year 1939, it was given back to the religious order. The building was deteriorated yet, and after years and years of restoration, it was ready again in 1988. At present, this building is used to present different artistic works of different musicians or concerts among others in the Festival de Saintes.
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