Abbey Alet Les Bains 2017.14.02 ©alain François (24)The remains of a central nave dating from the XI-XIIth centuries and its sculpted Romanesque decorations impress by its dimensions. The gothic choir, including the Romanesque apse, unfolds with its five radiating chapels, 4 of which were destroyed just after the revolution. In their place nowadays Avenue Nicolas Pavillon and the houses which border it. The vaulted chapter house with its sculpted capitals is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture.
Located in the heart of the medieval city of Alet, Notre Dame Abbey offers a unique architectural ensemble of remarkable dimensions. The origins of the Benedictine abbey remains not well known. It was an important place of pilgrimage from the eleventh century onward around a fragment of the True Cross. At this time, the abbey attracted the favor of the popes and became, in 1318, the cathedral when the bishopric of Alet was created.
Abbey Alet Les Bains 2017.14.02 ©alain François (3)
Abbey Alet Les Bains 2017.14.02 ©alain François (9)
Abbey Alet Les Bains 2017.14.02 ©alain François (19)In the XVIth century, Alet was strongly marked by the religious wars: the cathedral and the former abbey were sacked and destroyed in 1573.
His impressive vestiges of beautiful ochre sandstone read like a vast art book in which Romanesque and Gothic elements blend.
Abbey Alet Les Bains 2017.14.02 ©alain François (2)The picturesque medieval village features beautiful old houses made of stone and half-timber from the Romanesque period to the XVII centuries. 21 buildings are listed or classified Historic Monument.
The small town also has several springs of thermal waters, they supply the washhouse, swimming pool, fountains…This mineral water is one of the oldest in France, exploited since the Roman period.
