I've always lived in this region. My great-grandparents lived in the abbey until the early 20th century. They got married there in 1911. Then my great-grandfather went off to war. His wife died in 1917. On his return, my great-grandfather went to live with his two daughters in Sainte Pexine, which is five kilometres away. My family still lives in this small village. So I've always known this place and I'm very attached to it. My wife and I became the abbey's new protectors in April 2019.
This was the first Cistercian abbey to be built in the Lower Poitou region. Organised around a central courtyard that is in the same place as the former cloister, the former abbey buildings that have survived are the church to the north, (just the eastern parts as the nave was cut off and converted into a wine press and cellar with an attic); the east wing of the monastery with a chapter house and passageway to the garden, which used to have a dormitory above it, and finally the south wing of the monastery with a kitchen, pantry, dining room, corridors, vestibule with a staircase leading up to the first floor, a large hall, a storeroom and the bakery, with five bedrooms above them on the first floor, as was the custom in the 18th century. Trizay Abbey has been listed as a Historic Monument since 10 April 1989.
Sainte Marie du Gué de Trizay Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey, which was founded in the 12th century and consecrated on 15 August 1145. The abbey suffered during the Hundred Years' War. The Protestant lord, Jean Bras de Fer, ransacked the abbey in 1568. Monastic life was re-established in 1575, but destruction and looting continued. The monastic history of Trizay came to a definitive end with the suppression of religious congregations in the French Revolution. The abbey was sold as national property to Hanaël Jousseaume on 18 April 1792. The sanctuary was transformed into an agricultural farm in the 19th century. On 10 April 1989, the remains of the former abbey, the former abbey church, the ruins of the east wing of the monastic building, the 18th century building to the south and the former cloister floor were included in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments.
Anyone visiting the abbey can feel its tranquillity. It is as if time had stood still. The gîte is the perfect place to rest, reflect and recharge your batteries. Sunrises and sunsets at the abbey are magical moments of observation, introspection and meditation. The abbey was built in a small valley, according to Cistercian custom, with the monks making their livelihood thanks to the water’s proximity. The surrounding natural environment provides plenty of opportunities for walking and cycling.
Canoe trips from the abbey to the "grand bateau", a small typical village where you can moor and have a picnic in the picnic area. "La maison Desamy" in Mareuil-sur-Lay, a Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant in a Napoleonic-style building dating back to the 1860s, which was formerly the watchmaker Desamy's shop. La Petite Taverne in Moutiers-sur-le-Lay, a casual fine dining restaurant with a takeaway and delivery service that delivers to the abbey. The Vignoble de la Barbinière and Mareuillais vineyards have wine tastings, and the Vignoble Mourat has bike rides through the vineyards. In Sainte Pexine, the Chaligny gardens and the 18th-century Saint-Brice chapel. The gardens of Williams Christie in Thiré, classified as a "Remarkable Garden", cover 12 hectares and are listed as a historic monument.
On the ground floor, there is a large, fully-equipped 47 m2 kitchen with a large table that seats ten people, a utility room and a toilet. There are three bedrooms upstairs, including a large 63 m2 suite with a fireplace, and two 20 m2 bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom and toilet. A large 60 m2 room with a fireplace and a video projector can be used as a lounge or work room.
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