The 10 Best Sacred & Religious Sites in Pays de la Loire, France

February 23, 2022 Janean Rudisill

Pays de la Loire (French pronunciation: ​[pe.i də la lwaʁ]; Breton: Broioù al Liger, meaning Loire Country) is one of the 18 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" (métropoles d'équilibre)¹.
Restaurants in Pays de la Loire

1. Eglise Saint-Etienne

1 Place de l Eglise, 72230 Monce-en-belin France
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 3 reviews

Eglise Saint-Etienne

2. Abbaye de la Coudre

rue Saint Benoit, 53005, Laval France +33 2 43 02 85 85 http://www.abbaye-coudre.com
Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 4 reviews

Abbaye de la Coudre

3. Cathedrale de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul

Place St-Pierre, Nantes France +33 7 81 66 18 43 http://www.nantes-tourisme.com/activite/cathedrale-saint-pierre-saint-paul-et-ses-cryptes-50777.html
Excellent
47%
Good
44%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,547 reviews

Cathedrale de Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul

This Gothic cathedral features a high nave and many tombs, including that of François II.

Reviewed By johnmN5785EK - Lyon, France

The construction of Nantes Cathedral, officially called La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul (or simply Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in the vicinity) took more than 400 years to complete. Begun in 1434, it took 457 years to finish, finally reaching completion in 1891. Since 1862 it has been listed as a historic monument in France. The striking white stone is especially impressive and the rich colors of the stained-glass windows make for a striking contrast. The architecture in this classic Gothic cathedral, with the imposing main nave and aisles, great organ and the immense inner column all combine to create a Gothic atmosphere inside the cathedral and make it even more memorable than others, such as Note Dame and Quimper. The beautiful Tomb of Francis II, the Duke of Brittany, and his second wife, Marguerite de Foix the parents of local heroine Anne of Bretagne, with its haunting sculptures of white Carrara marble is considered to be a French renaissance masterpiece. Also noteworthy is the tomb of Gen. Juchault de Lamoricière, a Nantes native and a great African campaigner; sculptor Paul Dubois completed the tomb in 1879. The cathedral's crypt, dating from the 11th century, shelters a museum of religions. The Cathedral was bombed heavily on June 15th, 1944; this necessitated a prolonged restoration which was almost completed in January 1972 when a disgruntled labourer started a massive conflagration with a blow torch. The restoration is nearing complete; an attempt was made to reconstruct the decor of the west façade to the state it was originally in the fifteenth century. This restoration proceeds on the other facades. The cathedral's crypt, dating from the 11th century, shelters a museum of religions. All in all well worth a visit.

4. Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes

1 Place Dom Gueranger, 72300 Solesmes France +33 2 43 95 03 08 http://www.solesmes.com/
Excellent
55%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
4%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 122 reviews

Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes

5. Site de l'Abbatiale Deas

2 place de l_Abbatiale, 44310 Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu France +33 2 40 78 22 34 [email protected] http://www.grandlieu-tourisme.fr/visite-et-decouverte/lieux-de-visite/site-de-labbatiale-deas
Excellent
50%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
0%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 32 reviews

Site de l'Abbatiale Deas

6. Abbaye de Tuffe

3ter, place du General Leclerc, Tuffe France +33 2 44 32 17 56 [email protected] https://tourismetuffe.blogspot.com/
Excellent
40%
Good
60%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 5 reviews

Abbaye de Tuffe

7. La Chapelle Sainte-Ursule

Rue Georges Clemenceau, 85400 Lucon France +33 2 51 56 36 52
Excellent
29%
Good
71%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 7 reviews

La Chapelle Sainte-Ursule

8. L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

Rue Saint-Jean de l'Habit Place des Plantagenets, 49590 Fontevraud-l'Abbaye France +33 2 41 51 73 16 [email protected] http://www.fontevraud.fr
Excellent
53%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
4%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,000 reviews

L’Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

Founded in 1101 on the intersecting borders of three regions, Anjou, Touraine and Poitou, Fontevraud Abbey is the largest surviving monastic complex from the Middle Ages. At the heart of the Abbey Church, the reclining effigies of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard the Lionheart are a reminder of its close links with the Plantagenet kings. Converted into a prison between 1804 and 1963, then in 2000 designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Loire Valley, Fontevraud lives and breathes heritage, culture, the art of living and tradition of hospitality, continuing to embody its founder's vision of an "ideal city".

Reviewed By bebsaurus_13 - Paris, France

We visited the monumental and historically fascinating Abbey to start our trip in the Loire Valley and it was a great introduction to the region. The building, having survived many tumultous periods and some massive transformations (including its stint as a prison for nearly 100 years), has been beautifully restored and looks gorgeous. There are clear and interesting explanations in each room, and several interactive screens that told more precise stories related to the Abbey - such as Alineor of Aquitaine's history - that kept our visit moving and also provided a lot of context for the other sites we visited later in our trip. Furthermore, there are a number of temporary exhibits in some of the Abbey rooms that were excellent. I especially appreciated the exhibit on modern church windows, and the curious but mesmerising light installation in the great hall. The grounds are also quite nice to visit, but the rain put us off from spending too much time there. This is a wonderful site and is really worth the stop.

9. Le Sanctuaire de la Salette

85250 La Rabateliere France +33 2 51 42 27 75 http://www.larabateliere.fr
Excellent
38%
Good
54%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
4%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 24 reviews

Le Sanctuaire de la Salette

10. Basilique de Notre Dame de Pontmain

3 rue Notre Dame, 53220 Pontmain France
Excellent
68%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 38 reviews

Basilique de Notre Dame de Pontmain

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.