Notre-Dame de l’Abbaye – Our Lady of the Abbey

Notre-Dame de l'Abbaye

On the Carcassonne audio-guided tour, behind this wall lies Notre-Dame de l'Abbaye, a former monastery dating from the Middle Ages. A few minutes' walk from the City, it invites a peaceful, contemplative pause, in keeping with a place still devoted to welcome and prayer.

A medieval monastery

The complex preserves a peaceful cloister and a church, one of the oldest in town, restored in the 12th century. It also houses the Musee Tresor, which displays liturgical objects, manuscripts and vestments. Notre-Dame de l'Abbaye is one of the stages on the Way of Saint James, and has long welcomed pilgrims on their way to the shrine.

What there is to see

Along the enclosure wall, over about a hundred metres, twenty-one mural frescoes depict various medieval scenes and episodes from the town's history; signs explain their subject. Inside, the cloister and the church bear witness to the long religious vocation of the place, while the Musee Tresor preserves its material memory.

Practical information

Notre-Dame de l'Abbaye is a few minutes' walk from the City, on Rue Trivalle. Access to the inside of the monastery and to the Musee Tresor is by prior request: it is advisable to contact the site in advance, as conditions vary with the season. As a place of contemplation, respectful dress and behaviour are expected.

What is the origin of Notre-Dame de l'Abbaye ?

It is a former medieval monastery, whose church, one of the oldest in Carcassonne, was restored in the 12th century.

Can the monastery be visited ?

Access to the interior and to the Musee Tresor is generally by prior request, depending on the period; it is best to check before visiting.