Abbaye cistercienne de Bellebranche

Abbaye de Bellebranche is a former Cistercian monastery founded in 1152 in the commune of Saint-Brice in the Mayenne department, about 20 km east of Château-Gontier in the Pays de la Loire region. Following the Cistercian tradition of siting abbeys in remote valleys to encourage contemplative withdrawal from the world, Bellebranche preserves elements of its original Romanesque monastic fabric. It holds the status of a listed historic monument (monument historique). The site offers a quietly atmospheric encounter with 12th-century monastic architecture, away from well-trodden tourist routes.