July 2: Abbaye de Jumièges

Our trip included three monasteries that, taken as an ensemble, impressed me. The first-- rated with the three stars (***) that signify "highly recommended" by my Michelin guidebook--was the once mighty Abbaye de Jumièges, "one of the most impressive ruins in France." At the time of the revolution, when all the lands of the Roman Catholic church were sold, a timber merchant purchased Jumièges; he used it as a stone quarry for the next 60 years. The roofless nave and the porch with its twin towers survived as do some of the secondary buildings and the gardens.

In the 19th century an owner--the one who saved what remains of the building--incorporated the abbey gatehouse into a mansion in the latest Gothic fashion. George Sand stayed there in September, 1869 (when she was 65) and was "enchanted."

1. The Western front.The style is pure Romanesque.

2. The roofless nave.

3. A feature unique to Norman Romanesque architecture is its triple levels: the arcade on the main floor, then the triforium and, at the top, the clerestory. This photo (taken in the patch of lawn gives a clear view of the three levels.

 

Comments

[neverted]

Most impressive? It's sheer size!

As a side comment, though it was a rainy day, this 3 star site was not crowded. That seems to often be the case for churches and ruins not located in major cities. Few of the 22 million tourists a year seem to make their way to them.