Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Heloisa

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started as an itinerant preacher, was exiled to Paris. Then was an archpriest fighting lay investiture and clerical concubinage. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit. His piety and eloquence attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. Robert left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, worked again as an itinerant preacher. His eloquence drew crowds and provoked the church hierarchy. So in 1100, he was requested to give up the nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. He himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 he died in the Priory of Orsan. From the very beginning the convent had a strong support from the aristocracy, above all from the House of Plantagenet. Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful ladies of medieval times, joined the convent, when she retired from the political powergame in 1200. She died here in 1204 and in the nave of this church, once choosen as the burial place for the House of Plantagenet, is her tomb. The convent was successful and existed upto the French Revolution. In 1804 Napoleon signed a decree, transforming the abbey into a prison. The abbey was a prison upto 1963! Holding upto 2000 prisoners, the prison was known to be of the "toughest in France". The nave of the abbey church. To squeeze in more prisoners here, four floors were installed within this nave upto the renovation and rebuilding process. Thousands of prisoners have lived (and died) here over more than 150 years. All walls of the abbey are covered with carved with names and dates. Where the visitors gather are the tombs of the Plantagenets.

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started his career as an itinerant preacher. After a conflict with the bishop of Rennes, he was exiled to Paris. The bishop recalled him back later and appointed Robert to be an archpriest for reforming the clergy, what meant fighting lay investiture, clerical concubinage etc. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that after the bishop´s death, he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit. His piety and eloquence attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. Robert left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, worked again as an itinerant preacher. His eloquence and his ascetic appearance, drew crowds. He again came into conflict with a bishop. In 1100, during a council in Poitiers, he was requested to give up his nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. A piece of land was bestowed on him, where at 1001 Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. He invited people of every age and condition to join - "under the leadership of a woman". This may have attracted many noble and wealthy ladies. Robert himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 he died in the Priory of Orsan. At that time Hersende had already commissioned the construction of the church. The monastery, Hersende had in mind, when she started the process, should accomodate at least 500 nuns and "fratres". From the very beginning the convent had a strong support from the aristocracy, above all from the House of Plantagenet. Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful ladies of medieval times, joined the convent, when she retired from the political powergame in 1200. She died here in 1204 and in the nave of this church, once choosen as the burial place for the House of Plantagenet, is her tomb. Some of the "fratres" could not bear to live "under the leadership of a woman" - and left again, but the convent was successful and existed upto the French Revolution. In 1804 Napoleon signed a decree, transforming the abbey into a prison. The abbey was a prison upto 1963! Holding upto 2000 prisoners, the prison was known to be of the "toughest in France". Here is the western facade of the former abbey church.

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started his career as an itinerant preacher. After a conflict with the bishop of Rennes, he was exiled to Paris. The bishop recalled him back later and appointed Robert to be an archpriest for reforming the clergy, what meant fighting lay investiture, clerical concubinage etc. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that after the bishop´s death, he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit, but he did not stay lonely in the forests. His piety, eloquence, sympathetic view of women attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. The same year, Pope Urban II, touring through France, met Robert and appointed him "preacher second only to himself". Robert left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, restarted his life as an itinerant preacher, addressing the poor. His eloquence and his ascetic appearance, drew crowds. He again came into conflict with a bishop. In 1100, during a council in Poitiers, he was requested to give up his nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. A piece of land ("Fons Evraldi") was bestowed on him, where at 1001 Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. He invited people of every age and condition to join - "under the leadership of a woman". This may have attracted many noble and wealthy ladies. Robert himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 he died in the Priory of Orsan. At that time, the abbey had 35 priories already and Hersende had already commissioned the construction of the church. The monastery, Hersende had in mind, when she started the process, should accomodate at least 500 nuns and "fratres". The apse, seen here, was consecrated by Pope Callixtus II in 1119. From the very beginning the convent had a strong support from the aristocracy, above all from the House of Plantagenet. Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful ladies of medieval times, joined the convent, when she retired from the political powergame in 1200. She died here in 1204 and in the nave of this church, once choosen as the burial place for the House of Plantagenet, is her tomb.

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started his remarkable career as a humble itinerant preacher. After a conflict with the bishop of Rennes, he was exiled to Paris, where he studied. The same bishop recalled him to the diocese later and appointed Robert to be an archpriest for reforming the clergy, what meant fighting simony, lay investiture, clerical concubinage etc. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that in 1093, after the bishop´s death, he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit and lived in the forest, but he did not stay lonely there. His piety, eloquence, sympathetic view of women attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. The same year, Pope Urban II, touring through France, after he had launched the First Crusade during the Council of Clermont, met Robert and appointed him "preacher second only to himself". Robert was not interested in the crusade at all. He left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, restarted his life as an itinerant preacher, addressing the poor. His eloquence and his his ascetic appearance, drew crowds. He again came into conflict with a bishop. In 1100, during a council in Poitiers, he was requested to give up his nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. A piece of land ("Fons Evraldi") was bestowed on him, where at 1001 Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. Robert invited people of every age and condition to join - "under the leadership of a woman". This may have attracted many noble and wealthy ladies, to join the convent. Robert himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 Robert died in the Priory of Orsan (Centre). At that time Hersende had already commissioned the church. The construction started in 1104. The monastery, Hersende had in mind, when she started the construction, should accomodate at least 500 nuns and "fratres". It actually is still today one of the largest monastic ensembles in Europe. From the very beginning the abbey had a strong support from the House of Plantagenet, who were Counts of Anjou. Such a large ensemble needs TLC constantly.

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started his remarkable career as a humble itinerant preacher. After a conflict with the bishop of Rennes, he was exiled to Paris, where he studied. The same bishop recalled him to the diocese later and appointed Robert to be an archpriest for reforming the clergy, what meant fighting simony, lay investiture, clerical concubinage etc. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that in 1093, after the bishop´s death, he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit and lived in the forest, but he did not stay lonely there. His piety, eloquence, sympathetic view of women attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. The same year, Pope Urban II, touring through France, after he had launched the First Crusade during the Council of Clermont, met Robert and appointed him "preacher second only to himself". Robert was not interested in the crusade at all. He left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, restarted his life as an itinerant preacher, addressing the poor. His eloquence and his his ascetic appearance, drew crowds. He again came into conflict with a bishop. In 1100, during a council in Poitiers, he was requested to give up his nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. A piece of land ("Fons Evraldi") was bestowed on him, where at 1001 Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. Robert invited people of every age and condition to join - "under the leadership of a woman". This may have attracted many noble and wealthy ladies, to join the convent. Robert himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 Robert died in the Priory of Orsan (Centre). At that time Hersende had already commissioned the church. The construction started in 1104. The monastery, Hersende had in mind, when she started the construction, should accomodate at least 500 nuns and "fratres". It actually is still today one of the largest monastic ensembles in Europe. From the very beginning the abbey had a strong support from the House of Plantagenet, who were Counts of Anjou at that time.

Robert d'Arbrissel (1045 – 1116) started his remarkable career as a humble itinerant preacher. After a conflict with the bishop of Rennes, he was exiled to Paris, where he studied. The same bishop recalled him to the diocese later and appointed Robert to be an archpriest for reforming the clergy, what meant fighting simony, lay investiture, clerical concubinage etc. His reforming zeal aroused such enmity that in 1093, after the bishop´s death, he was compelled to leave the diocese. He became a hermit and lived in the forest, but he did not stay lonely there. His piety, eloquence, sympathetic view of women attracted many followers, for whom in 1096 he founded the monastery of La Roé. The same year, Pope Urban II, touring through France, after he had launched the First Crusade during the Council of Clermont, met Robert and appointed him "preacher second only to himself". Robert was not interested in the crusade at all. He left the convent and, living in the utmost destitution, restarted his life as an itinerant preacher, addressing the poor. His eloquence and his his ascetic appearance, drew crowds. He again came into conflict with a bishop. In 1100, during a council in Poitiers, he was requested to give up his nomadic life and to settle down with his followers. A piece of land ("Fons Evraldi") was bestowed on him, where at 1101 Robert founded the "double monastery" Fontevraud Abbey. Robert invited people of every age and condition to join - "under the leadership of a woman". This may have attracted many noble and wealthy ladies, to join the convent. Robert himself could bear the sedentary life only for a short while. He appointed Hersende de Champagne (Heloisa´s mum?) to lead the convent and hit the road again. In 1116 Robert died in the Priory of Orsan (Centre). At that time Hersende had already commissioned the church, seen here in the evening sun. The construction started in 1104. The monastery, Hersende had in mind, when she started the construction, should accomodate at least 500 nuns and "fratres".