“Royaumont, the abbey with 1,001 lives”
[Le Figaro]
An exceptional site throughout the centuries
Founded in 1228 by the young Louis IX (the future “Saint Louis”) and his mother Blanche of Castile, this Cistercian abbey enjoyed great renown in the Middle Ages.
Sold during the Revolution, it was converted into a textile factory and the dismantled church was used to build a workers’ village.
The abbey regained its original purpose in 1869 when it became the novitiate for the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, who undertook to restore it in the Neo-Gothic style.
In 1905, Jules Goüin, president of the Batignolles Construction Company, acquired the former monastery.
His grandson, Henry Goüin, decided to open its doors to artists and intellectuals in need, offering them ‘the leisure to meditate – and possibly to create – to those who are too often forced by the material difficulties of life to live in places devoid of beauty and poetry’.
In 1964, the project was perpetuated in the form of a foundation, the Fondation Royaumont (Goüin-Lang) for the advancement of the human sciences.
Nestled in a peaceful setting of timeless beauty, this monument, listed as a historic monument in 1927, has had several lives, successively as a Cistercian monastery, a court abbey, an industrial site, a novitiate and a hospital.
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A royal foundation, a Gothic masterpiece
Listed as a historic monument in 1927, Royaumont is the largest Cistercian abbey in the Île-de-France region and an exceptional example of monastic life and Gothic architecture.
Its buildings are arranged around a remarkably large cloister. Accessible from the passageway connecting the cloister to the park, the chapter house now houses the Henry and Isabel Goüin Library.
The monks’ refectory is one of the few examples of a two-nave refectory still visible in France. The airy structure of its architecture, with its slender columns and large openings coloured by stained glass windows, recalls the liturgical function of meals among the Cistercian monks, who were very attached to the symbolic function of their architecture. From the 19th century onwards, it was used as a workshop, drying room, chapel and finally a concert hall with the installation of a large Cavaillé-Coll organ in 1936.
The lay brothers’ refectory is a hall with three ribbed vaulted bays, one of the most spacious in the abbey. Transformed into a ballroom, theatre, canteen, dormitory and warehouse, it is now open to visitors, as are the monks’ former kitchens.
Crossed by a canal along its entire length, the latrine building, one of the last buildings of its kind preserved in Europe, bears witness to the hydraulic science and concern for hygiene that existed among the Cistercians in the Middle Ages. Today, the ground floor houses a lounge for residents, a bar-tea room and a reception room. Upstairs, spaces have been set up for concerts, artist rehearsals and corporate seminars.
They complement the residential facilities in the monks’ building, the largest in the abbey at 65 metres long and 23 metres high.
All that remains of the abbey church, which was destroyed during the Revolution, are the romantic ruins of columns and capitals to the north of the abbey. This building has been digitally reconstructed, allowing visitors to appreciate its exceptional size within the abbey.
The sacristy, with its broken barrel vault, opens onto the south transept of the former abbey church and the cloister.
Archive pictures
Royaumont Abbey, from yesterday to today
1228: to fulfil a wish of his father, Louis VIII, the young King Louis IX founded a new abbey, which he entrusted to a community of Cistercian monks. Construction was completed in 1235 with the consecration of the church. The large size of the church and the importance of the property granted reveal the ambition of the young king, who made it one of the largest establishments north of Paris after Saint Denis.
1246: Vincent de Beauvais, a Dominican monk known for his writing of the Speculum majus, was the first intellectual to be welcomed to the abbey, where he held the position of lector.
From the beginning of the 14th century, the abbey began to suffer from a lack of resources to maintain its temporal possessions.
1549: The abbey was ceded in commendam, until the Revolution, to figures close to the royal power, such as Mazarin, Richelieu and the Lorraine family (1651–1728), who restored it at great expense to give it new lustre. Almost all the commendatory abbots tended to confuse private property with monastic property, and the abbey with a holiday resort.
1635: Richelieu gathered all the abbots of the Cistercian establishments to impose a return to strict observance of the rules of the order and had them sign ‘The Articles of Royaumont’. At the same time, King Louis XIII gave Royaumont the Ballet de la Merlaison, which he had written and choreographed.
1783: The last commendatory abbot, Henri-Eléonore-François Le Cornut de Ballivières, a prominent socialite, organised lavish parties and had the abbey palace built on the model of Italian villas, which was unfinished when he fled in 1789.
1790-1792: The abbey was declared national property. Books, archives, religious objects and furniture were transferred to storage or sold. The buildings were purchased by the Marquis de Travanet, who had the abbey church demolished and converted the convent buildings into a spinning mill.
1792–1860: Royaumont is one of the most important industries in the region. The van der Mersch family, who own and operate it from 1815 to 1860, attract artists and the Parisian bourgeoisie to the resort.
1864-1905: The abbey is bought by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate of Marseille, then entrusted in 1869 to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, who set about restoring the buildings to their original use and form. Under the guidance of architect Louis Vernier, they undertook major restoration work on the convent buildings, combining the neo-Gothic style with respect for Cistercian simplicity.
1905: the Combes law on congregations forced the nuns of the Holy Family of Bordeaux to leave the abbey. It was bought by a major industrialist, Jules Goüin, president of the Société de Construction des Batignolles, founded by his father Ernest Goüin in 1846. The abbey became the Goüin family’s second home.
1915-1919: The abbey housed Auxiliary Hospital No. 301, run by a team of Scottish women doctors and nurses, known as ‘the Scottish Women’.
1927: The abbey was classified as a ‘historic monument’.
1931: Henry Goüin, grandson of Jules Goüin, marries Isabel Lang. Together, they embark on a programme of restoration and refurbishment of the buildings – the lay brothers’ building, roofing of the cloister, repair of the roof structure of the latrine building, installation of a Cavaillé-Coll organ in the former refectory and removal of the gallery, initial restoration of the old kitchens, repair of the roofs of the guesthouse and monks’ building, installation of central heating – and turned the abbey into a place where artists and intellectuals would gather.
1936 : le 27 juin, un premier concert public est donné dans l’ancien réfectoire, qui annonce les futures saisons musicales.
1938 : le Foyer de l’Abbaye de Royaumont, lieu de travail ou de repos destiné aux artistes et aux intellectuels, est créé. Son activité est interrompue pendant la guerre. Elle reprend en 1947 sous la direction de Gilbert Gadoffre et devient le Centre culturel international de Royaumont (CCIR).
1949 : la bibliothèque de Paul Desjardins (provenant de l’abbaye de Pontigny) est acquise par Henry Goüin.
1953 : Le CCIR devient le Cercle culturel de Royaumont, qui sera dissous en 1968.
De 1953 à 1964: restauration des anciennes cuisines, du bâtiment des latrines, interventions sur la tourelle, le cloître, l’ancien réfectoire et le bâtiment des moines…
1964 : Henry et Isabel Goüin créent la Fondation Royaumont (Goüin-Lang), pour le progrès des Sciences de l’Homme, déclarée d’utilité publique par décret du conseil d’état du 18 janvier 1964 et y apportent en dotation leur propriété de Royaumont ainsi qu’un capital.
1971 : le Centre de Royaumont pour une Science de l’Homme est créé. Il quittera la Fondation en 1973.
1972 : Royaumont participe en tant que membre fondateur à la création de l’Association des Centres Culturels de Rencontre.
1977 : Henry Goüin décède le 24 février. Le 5 avril, la Fondation signe avec le département du Val-d’Oise une convention et élabore à partir de 1978 un nouveau projet culturel.
De 1976 à 1980 : poursuite des travaux de restauration du cloître, de l’ancien réfectoire et du bâtiment des moines, réaménagement de la maison d’hôtes…
1984 : création du Centre de la Voix, d’un centre de recherches et d’interprétation des musiques médiévales, du Centre littéraire, d’un Centre d’arts plastiques et d’un programme de recherche ethnologiques.
1988 : Isabel Goüin décède le 28 octobre.
De 1983 à 1992 : restauration des vestiges de l’abbatiale, du bâtiment des convers, du cloître, des anciennes cuisines, rénovation des 40 chambres et des galeries nord et ouest du cloître, rénovation du bâtiment des latrines et construction d’une nouvelle porterie…
2000 : le projet culturel est redéfini. Il diversifie les programmes musicaux, s’ouvre à la danse contemporaine, associe la poésie à des rencontres avec d’autres disciplines, lie plus fortement patrimoine et création.
2004 : création d’un jardin d’inspiration médiévale, le jardin des 9 carrés, conçu par Olivier Damée et Edith Vallet.
2007 : acquisition de la Bibliothèque musicale François-Lang.
De 1992 à 2010 : restauration de l’ancien réfectoire des moines, réfection du carrelage des anciennes cuisines, restauration des balustrades et des terrasses du cloître, restauration et ouverture au public de la Bibliothèque musicale François-Lang, création de 6 nouvelles chambres, restauration du jardin du cloître, restauration du comble du bâtiment des convers et création d’une nouvelle salle de répétition.
2010 : le projet culturel est recentré autour de la musique et du patrimoine dans le cadre de deux pôles principaux : le Pôle des « Programmes artistiques », qui réunit le Programme Voix, le Programme des Claviers, le Programme Voix Nouvelles, le Programme Musique orales et improvisées, le Programme de recherche et composition chorégraphiques, l’Unité scénique, le Grand Atelier, la Bibliothèque François-Lang, les Archives et la Bibliothèque Henry & Isabel Goüin et le Pôle de « l’Action territoriale et des publics », chargé de la diffusion des activités mises en œuvre par les différents programmes artistiques.
2014 : ouverture le 28 juin du Potager-Jardin, conçu par Astrid Verspieren et Philippe Simonnet, restauration et aménagement de l’ancien réfectoire des frères convers et signature le 3 octobre d’un contrat d’objectifs quinquennal (2014-2018) avec l’État, la région d’Ile-de-France et le département du Val-d’Oise.
2015-2016 : la Fondation Royaumont engage de très importants travaux de restauration de son abbaye, de rénovation et d’extension de son équipement résidentiel.
2016 : adossement de la Médiathèque Musicale Mahler (Paris) à la Fondation Royaumont
2020 : restauration des façades et des toitures du réfectoire des moines et de l’ancien chauffoir ; restauration des menuiseries extérieures ; isolation des combles ; remise aux normes des installations électriques.
2022 : restauration de l’ancienne grille médiévale retrouvée dans un canal de l’abbaye à la fin du XIXe siècle, et classée « Monument Historique » en 1934. Une datation au carbone 14, réalisée à l’occasion, a confirmé qu’elle avait été fabriquée à partir d’un chêne abattu entre 1220 et 1271.
1936: On 27 June, the first public concert is held in the former refectory, heralding future musical seasons.
1938: The “Foyer de l’Abbaye de Royaumont“, a place of work and rest for artists and intellectuals, is created. Its activities are interrupted during the war. They resume in 1947 under the direction of Gilbert Gadoffre and become the “Centre culturel international de Royaumont” (CCIR).
1949: Henry Goüin acquires Paul Desjardins’ library (from Pontigny Abbey).
1953: The CCIR becomes the “Cercle culturel de Royaumont“, which is dissolved in 1968.
From 1953 to 1964: restoration of the old kitchens, the latrine building, work on the turret, the cloister, the old refectory and the monks’ building…
1964: Henry and Isabel Goüin create the “Royaumont Foundation (Goüin-Lang) for the advancement of human sciences”, declared a public utility by decree of the Council of State on 18 January 1964, and donate their Royaumont property and capital to it.
1971: The “Centre de Royaumont pour une Science de l’Homme” is created. It leaves the Foundation in 1973.
1972: Royaumont participates as a founding member in the creation of the Association of Cultural Meeting Centres.
1977: Henry Goüin dies on 24 February. On 5 April, the Foundation signs an agreement with the Val-d’Oise department and develops a new cultural project starting in 1978.
From 1976 to 1980: restoration work continues on the cloister, the former refectory and the monks’ building, and the guest house is refurbished.
1984: Creation of the “Centre de la Voix“, a centre for research and interpretation of medieval music, the Literary Centre, a Centre for Visual Arts and an ethnological research programme.
1988: Isabel Goüin dies on 28 October.
From 1983 to 1992: restoration of the remains of the abbey church, the lay brothers’ building, the cloister and the old kitchens; renovation of the 40 rooms and the north and west galleries of the cloister; renovation of the latrine building and construction of a new gatehouse.
2000: the cultural project is redefined. It diversifies the musical programmes, opens up to contemporary dance, combines poetry with encounters with other disciplines, and links heritage and creation more strongly.
2004: creation of a medieval-inspired garden, the “Jardin des 9 Carrés”, designed by Olivier Damée and Edith Vallet.
2007: acquisition of the François-Lang Music Library.
From 1992 to 2010: restoration of the monks’ former refectory, renovation of the tiling in the old kitchens, restoration of the balustrades and terraces of the cloister, restoration and opening to the public of the François-Lang Music Library, creation of six new rooms, restoration of the cloister garden, restoration of the attic of the lay brothers’ building and creation of a new rehearsal room.
2010: the cultural project is refocused on music and heritage within the framework of two main areas: the ‘Artistic Programmes’ area, which brings together the Voice Programme, the Keyboard Programme, the New Voices Programme, the Oral and Improvised Music Programme, the Choreographic Research and Composition Programme, the “Unité scénique“, the Grand Atelier, the François-Lang Library, the Henry & Isabel Goüin Archives and Library, and the ‘Territorial Action and Audiences’ division, responsible for promoting the activities implemented by the various artistic programmes.
2014: opening of the “Potager-Jardin“, a garden designed by Astrid Verspieren and Philippe Simonnet, restoration and refurbishment of the former refectory of the lay brothers, and signing of a five-year contract (2014-2018) with the French government, the Île-de-France region and the Val-d’Oise department.
2015-2016: The Royaumont Foundation undertakes major restoration work on its abbey and renovation and extension of its residential facilities.
2016: The Mahler Music Library (Paris) joins forces with the Royaumont Foundation.
2020: Restoration of the facades and roofs of the monks’ refectory and the former warming room; restoration of the exterior woodwork; insulation of the attic; upgrading of electrical installations to current standards.
2022: restoration of the old medieval gate found in a canal at the abbey at the end of the 19th century and listed as a ‘Historic Monument’ in 1934. Carbon-14 dating carried out at the time confirmed that it was made from oak felled between 1220 and 1271.