Basilika des Heiligen Benedikt

The Abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, about 35 kilometres east of Orléans on the Loire, stands as one of the finest Romanesque ecclesiastical buildings in France. Founded between 630 and 650, the monastery rose to European prominence in the 7th century when its monks transported the relics of Saint Benedict from Monte Cassino to Fleury — a translation that turned the abbey into one of early medieval Christendom's foremost pilgrimage sites. The imposing porch tower, built in the early 11th century, features intricately carved capitals depicting biblical and symbolic scenes with exceptional craftsmanship. Benedictine monks still reside here and chant the Gregorian liturgy several times daily, which visitors are welcome to attend. The crypt beneath the choir holds the relics of the founder of Western monasticism.