Gateway to the former Abbey of Saint-Ruf

The portal of the former Saint-Ruf abbey, a monumental vestige of Valence

At the entrance of the Saint-Ruf park stands the monumental portal of a former abbey of the same name. The last vestige of a vast religious complex, it recalls the past importance of this place for Valence. The Valence audio-guided tour stops here to evoke a vanished abbey, of which only this majestic gate remains today.

The last vestige of a great complex

This monumental portal, dating from the eighteenth century, is the last vestige of the abbatial residence of the mother house of the Saint-Ruf order. The abbey once formed an immense religious complex of great importance for the city. Transformed and then hit by the destruction of the twentieth century, it has almost entirely disappeared, leaving only this gate as a witness of its past influence.

What to see

The portal impresses by its dimensions and its decor, at the entrance of the Saint-Ruf park, a pleasant green space in the Saint-Jean district. People come to admire this witness of a vanished abbey, in a verdant setting conducive to strolling. It is a stop that blends religious heritage and a quiet walk, away from the centre.

Practical information

The Saint-Ruf portal lies at the entrance of the Saint-Ruf park, in the Saint-Jean district of Valence, reachable on foot. It is an open-air vestige, freely visible from the public space; the park is freely accessible during the city's garden opening hours, variable by season.

What remains of the Saint-Ruf abbey?

Essentially only the monumental eighteenth-century portal remains, the last vestige of the abbatial residence, at the entrance of the Saint-Ruf park.

Where is the Saint-Ruf portal?

At the entrance of the Saint-Ruf park, in the Saint-Jean district of Valence, where it marks the memory of the former abbey.