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Welcome
Since 1790, the buildings of the former Royal Abbey of Notre-Dame de Varennes have been divided into two separate private properties. Together, the owners are happy to welcome the public and make this site available to all those interested in the monument, its history and that of the artists associated with it.
Abbaye de Varennes, 6 Varennes, 36230 Fougerolles
The abbey church was included in the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments in 1958. In 1993, all the other buildings in Varennes, including the agricultural constructions added in the 19th century, were also listed. Finally, in 1994, the church, the abbot's house and its outbuildings were classified as a Historic Monument.
Varennes is a member of the European Charter of Cistercian Abbeys and Sites, an association which brings together more than one hundred and eighty monuments in eleven European countries. Its aim is to promote the Cistercian heritage and encourage relations and cooperation between all their owners, whether public or private.
Varennes is a member of La Demeure Historique, an association founded in 1924 and recognized as a public utility since 1965. La Demeure Historique brings together more than three thousand monuments: manors or castles, abbeys or priories, workshops or forges, mansions, gardens or remarkable residences, nearly half of which welcome more than nine million visitors each year.
Varennes is a member of the Romanesque Landscapes Tourist Route in the footsteps of George Sand. With a distance of 84 km, this fully signposted route can start in Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre and allows you to discover many places and monuments evoked by George Sand in his novels and correspondence.
In April 2024, the Abbey of Varennes was awarded the "Maisons des Illustres" label by the Ministry of Culture in honor of Jenny de Vasson. To date, the "Maisons des Illustres" label has been granted to 287 buildings, primarily in mainland France but also in overseas territories and a few foreign countries where notable French figures have lived.
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